Oshiomhole: APC Will Rule Nigeria Beyond 2023

• We have demonstrated purposeful leadership

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, has said that the ruling party, having demonstrated purposeful leadership to win the heart of Nigerians will rule the country beyond 2023.

Oshiomhole stated this yesterday in Abuja during the National Working Committee (NWC)  meeting with the governors elected on the platform of the party, where he stressed the importance of synergy between the NWC and the governors.

According to him, “We believe our party has made a lot of progress in the three key areas that were reflected in our manifesto but there is a lot to be done. 

“I am sure working together at both the executive, state and federal by the special grace of God, we will do better in this second term. As to merit, our party will continue to govern the country post 2023.”

Oshiomhole, who admitted that the task of leading the party had been challenging, also added the party had gained grounds and would achieve better in the second term of President Buhari.

He stated: “It is quite a challenging experience for me. I try to compare myself as a governor and now as chairman of a party. And coming in on the eve of primaries and dealing with fall out of the previous congresses, and then proceeding to conduct elections, then conduct primaries and campaigns across the 36 states and the FCT and working hard to ensure that we secure as many votes we can for our president. 

“I am happy to say that at the end of the day even though we lost some states, we also gained some states.

”We gained Kwara, which for us is extremely important and we also gained Gombe, which is also very strategic among others. Of course, we have a clear majority in the National Assembly. We have more Senators elected on our platform; we also have more of House of Representatives elected on our platform.”

The Progressives Governors Forum Chairman and governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, who led the APC governors’ delegation, said: “We are happy to cooperate and participate in whatever way we can to strengthen our party. Mr. President led Nigeria to recover from recession at the quickest time. He funded states to pay salary deficits, he paid retirees and established different social reinvestment programme. This is despite the drop in income.”