…DEMANDS LOYALTY
The former Chairman of Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, CECPC, of All Progressive Congress, APC, and Governor of Gombe State, Mai Buni, on Wednesday, handed over the mantle of leadership of the party to the ex- Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Adamu.
Buni’s interim leadership ended with the appointment of Adamu as the Consensus Chairman of the National Working Committee, NWC, of APC, during the party’s National Convention, last Saturday.
Delivering his speech, Buni acknowledged the sacrifices of the party leaders and members including the former Caretaker committee members, praising them for the successful nationaI Convention.
He specifically thanked Mr President, Mohammadu Buhari’s support for the opportunity to stear the party to a successful Convention.
“Let me use this opportunity to congratulate you on your well deserve victory at the convention. And also I want to thank the former Caretaker committee members who did their best to make sure that the party from where we started ended well at the convention.
“And above all, Mr president whose support we enjoy to ensure that we reposition the party to what it is today. And to the entire membership of APC family and other leaders for various roles they have played in ensuring that this party is growing.” He said.
Buni reminded the new exco about there are more hearculean task ahead, adding that as members of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party, there are more bridges to cross.
According to him, to sustain the gains, of the interim administration, especially coming at a time when the party will soon start its nomination process, that there’s enormous task before them.
“We have done our best from the Registration to the Local Government Area. We have done the ward, local government, state and upto the convention. But that cannot be without problems here and there. By and large, we have succeeded.
“We can say we have recorded 70% success. A bigger and larger political party like APC with over 41 million membership. A part of democracy is to agree and disagree at some points. But it is all about human management”, he stressed.
Buni explained that the ability to manage difficult situation is what will keep the party together and stronger again, and again.
He urged members of the NWC, to study Mr President’s speech as a template that will guide them in order to achieve success.
“I hope and pray you will build upon where we stopped. Because APC as we are all witnessed what happened at the convention, one will say, it is unprecedented because the attendance
and orderliness that has shame the nassyers, who said that the party will implode.” He stated.
Responding, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, APC National Chairman in his speech during the hand over, acknowledged the fact that it wasn’t going to be easy for the incoming exco, because of the enarmous tasked ahead.
He stated that the concern of his team is how to win the 2023 general elections for the party adding that it wasn’t going to be an easy time for the officers.
He pleaded with everyone in the party to work for the success of the party in 2023 elections stressing that the next year’s election is going to be a litmus test for the executive of the party.
Adamu said his regime is going to be all inclusive adding that what they need is a collective leadership as a way of achieving maximum success because one person cannot do it alone.
“Let me thank President Muhammadu Buhari who gave us alot and so much that happened during the convention.
“First, my address goes to God Almighty then to our Leader and father of the nation, President Muhammadu Buhari and other eminent leaders of this party that put heads together to make this possible. May God reward them.
“I want to say on behalf of the new NWC that it is not going be a easy time for us. We have a major event that is going to test the water but how stable we are as a party.
“That is the general election that is coming. For me, by the time, we start working, our main task will be how we handle the elections as a party.
“How we will win the general election? People are talking, oh, APC does not have an incumbent on the ticket. We will have the honor an the integrity and the legacy of the current president on the ticket”, he said.
He emphasised that the President has a complete allergy for failure while promising that the party will not experience failure.
He appealed to the NEC and party members for complete loyalty and team spirit, adding that there’s the need for all of them to work as a team in good faith.
“We will work for success together. If any of you my colleagues who is with me, don’t begrudge me. If there is any issue, let me know.
“I promise you in the spirit of collective leadership that team is the only way. I cannot deliver alone. What I am asking for is something called ‘loyalty’. You have to be loyal. You must have one team. If you bring division tendency, we will deal with it. This country is greater than any one of us. And this party is bigger than any single member of this party. So, that is the spirit I am taking the leadership of this country.
“I thank you very much. The Chairman of CECPC just handed over to me. I thank you for more than what words can express. Politics is sometimes a job that should be done well. Ingratitude always accompany whatever we do. But, should keep you moving on is what you know you did in good faith. That which you know will give you desired results.
“And we are expected to take off as soft landing like we have been given. This is the spirit with which we are going to work.
“And I want to appeal to you like I told you during my speech after the convention. I will be counting on you. You may have taken the cap off my head, there may have been some issues working in your brain. There may have been some work that you wish to do but pass it to me”, Adamu said..