Leadership Change: APC Governors, Leaders Urge Reps To Be Resolute
Say power is taken not given SAN FRANCISCO, February 03, (THEWILL) - The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Monday night urged its members in the House of Representatives to continue to be courageous and insist on changing the leadership of the lower chamber.
The party told the members that 'power is not given but it is taken' and they must fight to take over power through the laid down procedure.
This was the highlight of the ongoing meeting between the members and the leadership of the party at the National Assembly.
The leadership of the party led by its national chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, nine state governors, national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former ANPP chairman, Dr.
Ogbonnaya Onu, former Borno State governor, Alhaji Modu Sherriff at the meeting with the representatives, which started at 9.
05 pm, expressed happiness with the performance of the APC caucus in the House and advised them not to give up on the struggle.
Akande, in his address, said 'we are dealing with a very desperate government but we are anxious that we will overcome.
What you (Reps) did is a very courageous thing to do in a barbaric environment, we will always look up to you to help the country stabilise.
' According to Akande, 'Out there, we can always play rough with them (PDP), but here at the National Assembly all the eyes of the world are watching and you are expected to show them civilisation.
Bags of money are being carried about, but we are happy that those who carry these monies have left our party.
' In his remarks, Tinubu commended the members for performing 'exceedingly well'.
He singled out the minority leader, Hon.
Femi Gbajabiamila, whom he said has been very inspirational, saying 'I salute your effort and I could not have expected anything less from you.
' He charged the lawmakers to be on their guard and to eschew personal interest and promote national interest.
The national leader advised the members to mobilise their constituents for the party's registration scheduled to start on Wednesday.
According to Tinubu, 'Once upon a time there was June 12 but we overcame it; today there is poverty, corruption but we will still overcome it.
' He told members from the states controlled by other political parties not to give up but to continue to push, saying the APC was solidly behind them.
In his remarks, Dr.
Onu said the battle in the political arena has shifted to the National Assembly because the APC intends to use the parliament as a point to show how democratic it is.
He said presently, the APC controls all states with the largest number of votes in the country adding that the APC is the only truly national party in the country since the PDP does not have any state in the South west.
'It is not merely the party that is important to us but it is actually the people,' Onu said On his part, Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, told the members to be strong as , saying ' power is not given but it is taken.
' Okorocha said if the members do not act fast, the 'ugly' situation, in which the PDP has put the country would consume them.
'You have to fight.
The PDP will not fold its arms and wait for power to slip off its hands.
We know of the attempts to buy you but you can't be crayfish to be bought.
Please be strong.
We are proud of you and we are with you.
2015, we shall sing a new song where there will be no deceit and poverty,' he said.
All the other governors including Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara, Tanko Almakura of Nasarawa, Rauf Aregbesola of Osun, Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo and deputy governor of Kano, Alhaji Umar Dandidi who represented Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso all took turns to encourage the lawmakers.
As the time of filing this report, the lawmakers and the party officials were still in a close door meeting.
By Saint Mugaga, Abuja