OPEN LETTER TO APC

Source: thewillnigeria.com

From the innermost chambers of my heart I want to celebrate all the leaders of APC, from the commonest members to the President-Elect, General Muhammadu Buhari. I appreciate all of you for taking the Bull by the horns to get to where we are today, I thank all of you for drilling the deepest to restore hope to the fatherland, I honour you all for standing firm in the face of intimidation and falsehood, I celebrate you all for looking at PDP leaders straight in the eyes to tell them no power on earth can crush the decency of the human spirit and I felicitate with all of your believing that APC can make the difference. To God be the glory for where we started, where we are today and where we are going. From this victory, my faith in God has been cemented further to hold on to the basic truth that Nigeria is not a hopeless case.

In their arrogance and stupidity, PDP (the opposition now) never gave APC a chance right from day one. They said APC will never be. They said that the centre cannot hold in APC. They told the world that the merger of the legacy parties will never see the light of the day. They mocked the leaders of APC, they abused their sensibilities and thoroughly harassed them hours on end. They said implosions will soon swallow the outcome of the merger and they even sponsored hooligans and charlatans to frustrate the registration of APC. But the leaders of APC held on to what they believe in. They gave up personal gains, ambitions and positions just to make things work. They put in both human and material resources to make things happen. They sat down hours on end for endless meetings and sometimes until the wee hours in the morning. They left no one in doubt that they know where they are going.

Today APC has made a remarkable history in Nigeria by defeating the incumbent President. APC now has 22 states in its kitty. APC now controls the National Assembly and 22 State Assemblies out of 36. With this sweet victory and unprecedented miracle, APC now has the great opportunity now to rework Nigeria and reposition things. History has beckoned on APC to lead Nigeria to greatness. Nigerians have voted for APC to change the way we do things, the way we run government and the way we manage our affairs.

I have no doubt in my mind that APC has the capacity and the capability to restore hope and confidence in the land. Given all the troubles APC leaders went through at the formative stages, the harassment and intimidation from PDP, I have no doubt in my mind that APC leaders have built enough stamina and muscle for the great task ahead.

Expectations are very high. The demands are very high. There are thousand and one problems to be fixed. Almost every sector in Nigeria is suffering. 16 years of PDP leadership has been an unmitigated disaster. Everywhere you look, you see failure and gross abuse of office. Consequently PDP left what Thomas Hobbes called State of Nature where life is nasty, brutish and short.

I know that by now APC leaders will be gathering its arsenals to take on Nigeria. I know that APC leaders are preparing to roll up their sleeves for the task ahead. I know APC leaders are working hard to get a crack-team that will overhaul Nigeria. I believe that APC leaders understand the enormity of the problems they are going to inherit. I have no doubt in my mind that they understand they are likely to meet an empty treasury. I hope that APC will not out of omission or commission give PDP the chance to rise up so soon.

Nigerians will never ever accept excuses. They will never accept failure any longer. They want actions and results. They want to see things done with every sense of responsibility. Nigerians want a transparent, dedicated and committed leadership. They want things to be done differently. They want new ideas and new approach to issues and matters of governance.

APC has a lot to learn from the failure of PDP. Failure must never be an option for APC. In two to three years, APC must practically demonstrate to the world that it understands the way to go. APC must do in 4 years what PDP couldn't do in 16 years. I have said that APC will remain in power for a reasonable time if it gets things right and make PDP look foolish for wasting our time for 16 years.

I have told APC leadership to close its doors from PDP's gold diggers and interlopers and I am repeating this call again. They should be compelled to go and rebuild their party like we did in APC. PDP leaders who are knocking at the door have nothing to offer APC or Nigeria but mediocrity and impunity. They have nothing to bring to APC's table but character of non performance, election rigging and abuse of power. I want APC leaders to work so hard in such a way that they will bench PDP for years as opposition. I plead that APC should try as much as possible to checkmate implosions that may arise in the formation of the federal cabinet. Anything that will put APC in bad light must be clinically avoided and jettisoned.

Finally in forming the Cabinet, I want APC to look beyond party members. Only the best is good enough at this point in the nation's history and we must go beyond borders to get the best hands to help rebuild Nigeria. We must get decent people who are not looking for something to eat but something to offer. We must look for men who are men, men who can hold their heads when others are losing theirs. Men with the strength of Samson, the wisdom of Solomon and the courage of Esther to drive Nigeria to glory. APC should be searching for men who are goal getters, men in a hurry to add values to Nigeria and men who have developmental orientation.

This is Nigeria's finest moments and APC must sustain the momentum and restore the glory of Nigeria. If APC leaders want to know how difficult it is to manage success, they should go and ask the PDP leaders. May we never be arrogant, may we never claim to know it all and may we never make the mistakes of PDP. We must learn from the silly mistakes of PDP.

Written by Joe Igbokwe.

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