Ahead of the All Progressives Congress, APC, upcoming national convention, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, met with governors of the party.
During the meeting, Buhari urged the APC leadership to refund aspirants who were dropped immediately.
He urged them not to allow the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to take over power in 2023.
The President told the party leadership to be united in appointing executives ahead of the 2023 general elections.
He spoke while reeling out 11 points during the meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
See full text of Buhari’s speech below:
“Your Excellencies, I would like to express my gratitude to you all for the work you have done and are doing and your continued partnership and fortified alliances with the Federal Government over the years.
“When we came together to form the All Progressives Congress, nearly eight years ago our goal was National Salvation, our resolve was unshakable, our motivation was patriotic and noble.
“Consequently, by the Grace of God, we were rewarded with victory in the 2015 General Elections in a free and fair election.
“Over the last seven years, we have done our best to deliver good governance to the country. We have guaranteed national food security, we have provided modern infrastructure to kick-start economic growth and we have implemented the most comprehensive social welfare programmes in our history.
“Along the way, our party has survived shocks and attempts to derail it. Our government has also had to endure the worst economic crisis with the free fall of oil prices from an average of $100 per barrel over 15 years of PDP government to an average of $30 – $50 until the recent energy crisis.
“We need to remind ourselves of these achievements and not be diverted by petty quarrels and unseemly jockeying for positions. It will be a very sad and regrettable development if these manifest gains are frittered away as a result of internal dissent and rivalry. We must avoid narrow focus and inordinate personal ambitions at the expense of our party’s common good. We must stop frivolous and diversionary litigation when the Party’s reconciliation processes are available for settling disputes.
“We must restore sanity and purpose in the affairs of our party and lead ourselves to victory and safety.
“As I remarked when I met Your Excellencies on February 22nd, our aim must be to hand over to an APC Government at the Center and the great majority of states. We must not, by default allow the PDP to get its dirty hands on Government again and return us to the Stone Age.
“As I said at that meeting, our Party chose its leadership by consensus. I again plead that we choose our next leadership by consensus. This is consistent with the spirit of democracy, the Party’s Constitution and the Nigerian Constitution.
“I have already given my input and other recommendations on the way forward in both my 25th February 2022 meeting with the Chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee and my 13th March 2022 letter to the Chairman of the APC Governors Forum.
“With the convention only two days away I implore you to come together and sort out all the remaining party positions so that within the next 24 hours we can arrive at a Unity List which we can take to the convention.
“Finally, all those who have bought forms indicating interest and have been dropped should have their money refunded without delay.”
