APC Convention: I will ensure discipline, supremacy of the party if I emerge as chairman – Mustapha
By David Lawani, Abuja
The national chairmanship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mallam Saliu Mustapha has asserted that if he is elected to lead the party he will enthrone discipline and supremacy of the party saying without it no party can grow as an institution in a democracy.
Mustapha made this known in an interview noting that he will not tolerate the idea where individuals or groups will be bigger than the party thereby creating crisis for the party.
The chairmanship hopeful said he will work with governors despite they have overbearing influence on the structure of the party. He said there will be no room for antagonistic approach since they will all be working for the progress of the party.
” It is a very simple task. You see, everything depends on your manner of approach to issues. The Governors are crucial and an integral part of any party. They are leaders and Governors of their states. And don’t forget we are in a peculiar democratic experience. What happens in Oyo state might not happen in Sokoto State. We all have our different peculiarities”.
He said he will continue to consult with stakeholders of the party so that every member of the party will be given a sense of belonging. He said his policy for running the affairs of the party will be based upon inclusivity as every decision taken by the party will be informed by the priority of members who constitute an integral part of the party.
His words: ” One of the key ingredients to manage a party like the APC where you have various interests, both in terms of ethnicity, gender equality is consultations. By the time you give room for proper consultation, you give people a sense of belonging, that is having an all-inclusive agenda, and you try to be fair. There should be free and fair elections. No imposition of candidates. Popular candidates should emerge based on merits.
” And you carry people along. More importantly, you don’t seat there and say because I am the chairman today, I decide everything. You must consult and carry your colleagues along. Deploy a teamwork approach to issues and invite stakeholders for regular consultations. You will be able to trash issues based on information and be proactive towards certain issues. Politics is about inclusiveness.
“And when you don’t carry people along, they are bound to suspect you even before they start raising issues. As human beings, we have that phobia for one another. But when you are open to people, and you are able to carry them along, you let them see what you are doing and what the party is doing too. And don’t forget, we have a manifesto. We have a constitution.
” This are things that must be done. Let it be a binding document and let it work. At that time, nobody will Accuse you of personal agenda. Because the main thing in a political party is delivering on your promises to the electorates. Giving them dividends of democracy. And then you try to institutionalize the party. I am here to see a political party in the country that stands on its own as an institution”, he noted.
He stressed further that he will ensure institutionalization of the party adding that there will be an archive to warehouse ideas and vision of the party such that successive members and leaders of the party will have a documented records for the party.
According to him: ” We don’t have it. And over the years some of us have gone for different workshops and training by the NDI. They keep on inviting us. We have learnt alot from them. It is time for us to now domesticate it on our own based on our peculiarities. By the time you have this done, the party will now be proud of you if you are able to institutionalize it. Take for instance,, I don’t think we have an archive where you have record of the successes of APC promoted by the party.
” Then you are able to document the person that spearheaded that policy. When you have all this, you are able to develop a research, strategic and planning departments. You work ahead of time. Today electioneering is becoming digitalize. As a party, we must be able to look at the future and start planning on how you need to educate your members. And also work on advanced electioneering system. As a party you have to work to achive your achievements and what you intend to do..
” And how you intend to help checkmate and give account of your members first before the general public. If today, God made me the chairman of APC, I will promote an agenda where as a party we will hold our elected representatives to account for their stewardship so that we will know we have also give Nigerians the best. Not before Nigerians will start dictating or start questioning our achievements. Or let us even call ourselves to order. And say look, young man. You have been voted for this. You are not doing what you been voted for. So,that we don’t go to the poll in 4 years time, and the we start receiving bad responses”, he stated.
