Former Imo State governor and Senator representing Imo West, Rochas Okorocha, has advised the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Abdullahi Adamu to promote internal democracy in the ruling party.
Okorocha gave the admonition on Tuesday while speaking with newsmen after a meeting with Senator Adamu.
The new national chairman of the APC was the chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee set up by Governor Mai Mala Buni led Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee which was dissolved the penultimate weekend after the national convention of the party.
Senator Okorocha who noted that there was no time left to waste on reconciliation urged the new National Working Committee under Senator Adamu to ensure that the primaries that would be conducted to produce candidates for next general elections were free, fair transparent and devoid of rancour.
He said: “We literally have no time left to conduct party primaries, so this present working committee has a lot on their table to deal with and it requires faster and bigger steps to get this done. But as you know, internal democracy is very key in this country and I believe that the present executive will ensure beautiful internal democracy where all will be happy and no one will feel deprived or cheated. They will do their best and I have confidence in them that they will give us the best of candidates including, President, governors Senators and others. “
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Asked when he would start his campaign ahead of the presidential convention of the party, the former Imo State governor who had since formally signified interest in the APC ticket said the mood of the nation does not demand early campaign and desperation for the office.
“I have told the whole world and Nigerians that I will be running for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and I’m still in it. “What is important at this stage is for all of us Nigerians to understand the mood of the nation which is very important. “Aspiration is one thing, yet, vision is another thing. I think Nigerians should be able to separate aspiration, and ambition from vision. If you have ambition without vision, you will be wasting time, you will contribute nothing but if you have a vision then it is appropriate that you should lead the people because where there is no vision the people perish.
‘So, I think 2023 is more about vision and what people are bringing to the table especially given the mood of the election rather than circumstances, situations which have been pointed out to us by the happenings. I think it is always appropriate that Nigerians should take a second look at vision, not ambition because definitely everyone can have ambition but not everyone has the vision to move this nation forward.”
Also speaking while receiving the APC National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel at his Unity House, the former Imo State Governor tasked the South East chieftains of the ruling party to ensure that the 2023 presidential ticket of the party is ceded to the zone.
‘What is fair is fair and what is just is just. What surprises me at this material time when we are building bridges of peace and frontiers of brotherhood in this country is that I still see people struggling to make posters to run for president at this crucial moment when we are trying to maintain peace and give everybody a sense of belonging.
“While our party has technically zoned the presidency to the South, I think there is need for micro-zoning within the South and it will be proper for our brothers from the Southwest and South South will see reason just as we did during the days of Olu Falae and Obasanjo to do the same this time. It is not because I am running for election but for the sake of equity and fairness. Maybe in the next dispensation, we can throw it open for everybody but for now if the South-east is not carried along.
“Our greatest challenge as a nation is how to make the best use of our assets, the youth, but unfortunately, we have not been able to do that. The recent attack on a train going to Kaduna and several other attacks since then is because the youths have channeled their energies wrongly and tomorrow, if some of them are arrested, I assure you they will be between 15 and 35 years old. You can never see a 70 year old man going to robbery. This is why for us in the New Nigeria Project, the youths are our focal point because the country cannot move forward without them.”
“I think the youths of Nigeria have been very patient with the entire nation and I think the situation has pushed then to the wall. What we are seeing is the reaction of people who have been deprived of the basic amenities of life. But again, the youths must also realize that they must have a country before they can aspire to anything. ‘
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