From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Former Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has urged the newly-constituted national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to restore internal democracy in the emergence of party candidates for the 2023 general elections.
Senator Okorocha made the appeal after a courtesy visit on the national chairman of the ruling party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, on Tuesday at the national secretariat of the party, adding that internal democracy will be the greatest legacy they can bequeath the party.
Responding to the new advice to the National Working Committee (NWC), Okorocha replied: “We literally have no time left to conduct party primaries, so this present working committee has a lot on their table to deal with and it requires faster and bigger steps to get this done; but as you know internal democracy is very key in this country.
“I believe that the present excos will ensure beautiful internal democracy where all will be happy and no one will feel deprive or cheated. They will do their best and I have confidence in them that they will give us the best of candidates which includes; President, governors Senators and others,” he charged.
While giving updates on his 2023 presidential ambition, he said: “I have told the whole world and Nigerians that I will be running for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and I am still in it. What is important at this stage is for all of us Nigerians to understand the mood of the nation which is very important.”
“Aspiration is one thing yet vision is another thing. I think Nigerians should be able to separate aspiration, ambition from vision. If you have ambition without vision, you will be wasting time, you will contribute nothing. But if you have vision then it is appropriate that you should lead the people because where there is no vision the people perish.
“So, I think 2023 will be more about vision and what people are bringing on the table, especially given the mood of the election rather than circumstances, situations which have been pointed out to us by the happenings.
“I think it is always appropriate that Nigerians should take a second look at vision not ambition because definitely everyone can have ambition but not everyone has the vision to move this nation forward,” he quipped.
On his mission to the party’s headquarters, Okorocha said: “This is my home, this is my party. Anytime I come to the APC headquarters it gives me an extraordinary joy, remembering how all started and how the party started. It gives me some grateful memories.
“Anytime I am here, I feel I am back home, but today I just came to see the national chairman to discuss some great vital issues and suggestions that will move this party forward,” he said.