Group charges APC leadership on genuine reconciliation, inclusion

As the 2023 general elections draw nearer, a support group of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Sen. Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) and the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to ensure that all aggrieved members of the party are genuinely reconciled.

The Group, APC 360 says this will ensure a successful outing for the party at the presidential, governorship, senatorial, Reps and State Assemblies election, warning that any “window dressing” reconciliation will be counter-productive.

In a statement in Abuja at the weekend, the National Secretary of APC 360, Dr Chris Enoch said there are still frayed nerves arising from 2015, 2018 and 2022 primaries of the party.

He advised the APC not to ignore such stakeholders of the party but put efforts in place to ensure that their strength is galvanised to bolster the party’s chances at the polls.

Membership of APC 360 is drawn from former aspirants as well as other stakeholders of the party with a strong presence in all states of the federation.

The statement read in part, “We members of APC360 will continue to demonstrate our unalloyed support to the ideals, development and growth of our great party. As stakeholders who have committed so much in terms of intellect, human and financial resources, we will continue to demonstrate faith and loyalty in the party.

“We are however concerned that despite injustices some of us suffered at either 2015, 2018 or 2022 primaries or both, in the spirit of party supremacy, we have committedly exhibited sportsmanship by allowing the decisions of the party to prevail.

“The turn of events at the present however does not seem there is a roadmap to foster true reconciliation and inclusion among members of the party, particularly the APC 360 despite how much we have contributed to building the party.

“Thankfully, we have confidence in the Sen. Adamu-led NWC to bring every member under one umbrella to ensure that we head to the 2023 general elections with one indivisible house.

“Our most pragmatic presidential candidate, Sen. Bola Tinubu is also a man known for his prowess in political strategy and we believe he is deeply concerned about uniting our great party for its visible dominance in the upcoming general elections.

“To us, one of the early indicators of true reconciliation and inclusion is to enlist members of APC 360 in working committees of the just released presidential campaign council.

According to APC 360, in 2018 and 2022, its members comprising governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and State Assemblies aspirants spent an estimated N10.226bn and N18.061bn respectively on direct purchase of nomination and expression of interest forms alone.

Some members of the support group alleged that they were not given a level playing field to slug it out with their opponents at the primaries.

They, therefore, call on APC to enlarge its tentacles of reconciliation and inclusion to ensure that a large number of those aggrieved persons will be brought to a table of resolution.

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