By David Lawani, Abuja
Senator Adamu Abdullahi led the National Reconciliation Committee, NRC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC has submitted its interim report but requested more days to enable the committee to attend to more petitions that are still being submitted by aggrieved members of the party.
Briefing newsmen shortly after submitting the report, he stressed that a total of 47 petitions was received by the committee noting that more works need to be done in order to be sure that the report has achieved its mission of reconciling differences in the party suffered by members.
He said reconciliation is a work in progress and members need to be patient so as to get the issues sorted out properly, stating that he cannot pretend that they have attended to all the issues raised in the petitions.
According to him: ” In all as of yesterday, we have received 47 petitions as of yesterday. And you may wish to know that even this morning, there were people waiting for us to submit their petitions to us. We had promised Nigerians that we will do justice as humanly possible to everybody who is aggrieved through a fair hearing. And this is what we are doing. We had to come today to submit this interim because we are acting as a boy scout. A good boy scout obeys before complaints.
“So, we have been asked as of this morning to submit in fact we were given 11 am. We have submitted our interim report. Like we said when presenting the report, there is still work to be done. Reconciliation is a work in progress. And we cannot pretend that we have taken care of every little thing that has come before us. But by the time the final report is ready, then we will be able to give you the actual report.
” I said until we get the final report from the national secretariat. We can not say success until they declare our work successful. We cannot declare our own work successful. We will be more deceitful if we do so. All we can do is to make recommendations as a Reconciliation Committee. The duty of organizing the convention is dependent on the CECPC and not us. But whatever we will do to ensure that the party is stable enough with peace and have a conducive national convention, we will do that as a matter of duty”, he noted.
He maintained that the reason he is requesting for more days or time is that there are still members who are still submitting reports to be treated and the door cannot suddenly be shot against them because they deserved to be heard. He said
” As of today, we still have petitions coming in. People are still trooping in to come and see us. And we cannot in all fairness stop them. But as long as we are there when we get the final report, the first thing about Reconciliation is a work in progress. Nobody will tell you that political conflicts are based on ego in some cases, sometimes perception none of us have control over that. Nobody has. So, we cannot stop them bringing their petitions but the first we get, we will do what we can to recommend to the party”.
On what the party will do to members who are refusing to be reconciled to the party, he said; ” That is outside our mandate. It is not our duty to start saying what should happen to anybody if he or she doesn’t avail himself to our efforts for reconciliation. But by the time, our report is available to the party, the duty is that of the party, CECPC to cite any disciplinary measure or whatever. It is not for us”, he said.
Receiving the report, former Senate President, Ken Nnamani who is also a member of Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee on behalf of Mai Mala Buni, Governor of Yobe State Chairman of CECPC said the reports are timely since the party is preparing for a national convention.
He said: ” As you are all aware, this committee is very important to our collective zeal of recovering, repositioning and rejuvenating our party for us to have a strong, stable and united APC.
” The submission of this report is coming at a crucial period as we approach the National convention and the 2023 general elections. Therefore, the findings of the committee would contribute in no small measure to a successful convention and the general election.
” Let me express our sincere appreciation to the committee for handling the assignment given to them with a high sense of commitment and responsibility. You have painstakingly visited states where we have challenges and addressed them squarely.
” The great achievements the party has recorded in reconciling the differences among our stakeholders in Gombe, Ogun, Kwara, and many other states have justified the confidence the party has in your individual and collective capacities. You have truly done us proud”, he noted.
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He assures that all the issues raised in the reports will be attended by the CECPC noting that the party appreciate efforts committed to the whole process
” I wish to assure you that the Caretaker Committee will carefully study the report and implement the same to improve the unity and strength of the party.
” As you are aware, the party conducted a successful membership registration and revalidation exercise and now proudly has over Forty Million members making APC Africa’s largest political party and Nigeria’s leading party. With this numerical strength, APC remains the party that can confidently win elections with a landslide victory in all the national elections.
” However, in spite of all the achievements recorded by the party under my stewardship, and the high profile defections into the party, it is very pertinent for the party to promote the philosophy of unity of purpose, to pursue national interests against personal interests and a functional system of internal democracy to have a United, stable and prosperous political party.
” Let me once again solicit for your collective support to the caretaker committee for the party to organize a very successful National Convention that will be a stepping stone to the party’s success in the 2023 general election.
” | want to thank you so much for adding value to our party through this all-important assignment and look forward to your support in other commitments of the party”, he stated.
