By Kassim Kola Adeyemi
Lokoja – The national Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Abdulllahi Ganduje said plans have been concluded to structure the party into a truly grassroots progressive party by opening full-fledged and functional offices in all 8,813 wards in Nigeria.
Ganduje , spoke in Lokoja on Saturday at the inauguration of the national campaign council for the coming governorship election in Kogi State.
He said the plan is to enable members of the party across the country to have a symbolic representation of the party in their neighbourhood.
According to him, the offices will also serve as places for active interaction between and among members on one hand, and members and leadership at different tiers of government on the other hand.
“In addition, our vision is to institutionalise the progressive ideology in the body politic of our country.
“We indeed believe that progressivism as a political ideology can be deployed to improve the lives of millions of our compatriots and improve our society through appropriate political action and social reform based on advancement in Science, Technology, Economic Development and Social Organisation,” he explained.
To crystalise this vision, Ganduje said the party is at the concluding stage of establishing a National Institute of Progressive Study.
“This Institute, going forward, will facilitate the channelling and integrating the nation’s progressive minded politicians into the substance, orientation and practice of progressive ideology and political best practices.
“This will certainly amplify our difference from other political parties that are only interested in capturing power.
“We will ensure that with the kind of graduates our National Institute will be producing from time to time, the Nigerian political space will be populated by truly progressive minded politicians,” the Chairman said.
Ganduje said the party is also “initiating a new standard and benchmarks in the nation’s democratic sphere by facilitating an all-inclusive, grassroots driven engagements in electioneering campaigns and citizens’ inclusion in governance and decision-making process.
“In fact, that is the main reason we are for the first time inaugurating the campaign council at the grassroots rather than the usual practice of doing it at Abuja.”
The national Chairman
appreciated and thanked Governor Yahaya Bello, for the wonderful reception and all the courtesies extended to him and other party stalwarts since their we arrival in Lokoja.
Ganduje also expressed his happiness with Bello over the numerous and modest achievements recorded by his administration since 2015.
” I am certain that your successor, a young man like you, will build on what you have done as well as initiate other programmes and policies that would add value to the lives of Kogi people.
“We want to also thank His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello and our Party members for electing Hon. Usman Ododo as the flag bearer of our party.
“I will like to therefore call on all our party Members and Stakeholders to rally round our candidate so that our Party will succeed.
“By so doing, all the legacy projects would be sustained and there will be continuation in governance,” he said.
Ganduje then expressed the commitment of the party’s leadership to work hard individually and collectively to realise these goals and objectives.
While formally inaugurating the campaign council, Ganduje expressed his string believe in the capacity and ability of the Chairman and Co-Chairmen as well as the committee members to deliver and ensure the victory of our Party.
“It is also my belief that the innovations the Campaign Council will initiate during the campaign period will convince the electorate that the APC remains the only option for development, the only alternative for good governance and the only political vehicle to convey the people of Kogi State, and indeed, Nigeria, to the place of our collective aspiration of prosperity and development,” he said.
The 191-member campaign council has Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State as Chairman while Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu is Co – Chairman.(vitalnewsngr.com)
