President Muhammadu Buhari has described the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a failure both as governing and opposition party.
Buhari, however, warned leaders and members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) not to allow the ruling party to go in the way of the PDP.
The president, who gave the warning in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, on Saturday in Abuja; asked APC members to look at the once-powerful main PDP, now enfeebled and adrift, and learn lessons in disunity, mismanagement and corruption.
“They failed in 16 years in power and failed as opposition.
“Yes, we are entitled to our own share of dissent and intra-party discord. These are common in all parties, left and right all over the world.
“But parties splintered by competing egos destine themselves to the worst possible fate.
“As the country prepares for the long run up to the 2023 presidential election, we all expect a robust debate on the issues that matter and what is going on in the APC should be a reflection of this, not the infighting we are seeing.
“There must be no more distractions ahead of the convention to choose new leaders,” the president further warned.
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Buhari advised APC leaders and members to desist from name-calling and backstabbing ahead of the oncoming March 26 National Convention of the party.
Buhari advised them to remain steadfast and be united “if the party is to continue in the path of victory and its dominance at all levels throughout the country.”
He recalled that the APC started out with a confidence of victory and the “party today enjoys that confidence in nearly two-thirds of our 36 states.
“Yet, this is a party that has been in existence barely for eight years, becoming the dominant party because it has thrown open its doors to defectors from other parties, big and small.
“This alone, in addition to the fact we didn’t start on the note of arrogance of power, nor see government as a vehicle for self-aggrandizement, to be held at all costs, the APC is a vehicle to bring development to all without discrimination – political, ethnic or regional – to our dear country made this success possible.”
According to the president, the party is proud of the fact that in its short period of existence, it has won two general elections decisively and despite losing a few states in 2019.
He also noted that the party steadfastly expanded its pan-Nigerian outlook with significant defections of the opposition Governors and parliamentarians into its fold.
“Given all that is at a stake, we can expect contests into offices as we are now faced with to be heated although candidates and their promoters for party offices are not so much debating policy differences but differences of management, personality, character, and suitability for the most important leadership roles in our country and therefore the continent.”
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