Signs that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is getting ahead in the 2023 general election preparations are emerging as the party now has more than 40 million members.
APC had won the 2019 Presidential election with 15.19 million votes which its candidate, Muhammadu Buhari garnered to defeat the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar who scored 11.26 votes when the party had just about 12 million members.
Secretary, Caretaker Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee
(CECPC) of APC, James Akpanudoedehe said the party had a membership strength of 12 million which has moved to over 40 million in the recent membership registration and revalidation.
Akpanudoedehe spoke on Monday at APC National Secretariat, Abuja when Non-Career Ambassadors paid a courtesy call on the party’s CECPC Chairman and Governor of Yobe State, Mai-Mala Buni.
He said: “We are blessed to have a focused and gentle Chairman. When he came on board, we lost ground. Under his leadership, we have regained what we lost and gained more. We had a membership strength of 12 million. I want to inform you your Excellencies, under his leadership, the APC has moved to about 40 something million today”.
On his part, Buni who congratulated the newly appointed Ambassadors, granted all their requests, including that of attending the National Convention and agreed to set up a desk officer for the purpose of liaising with the non-career ambassadors.
Read Also: APC pegs Anambra governorship election forms at N22.5m
“By this your new calling, you now have a new role in building relationships and projecting the image of Nigeria in a very positive light. You are coming at a time when the country is faced with some challenges, especially the security challenge.
“As the ruling party, APC is deeply concerned and interested in healthy relationships between Nigeria and the international community because a healthy relationship will certainly contribute to the APC administration actualising the party manifesto to improve the lives of Nigerians”, he stated.
Earlier, spokesman of the ambassadors designate, Ominyi Nwannebuike said they were poised to further contribute to the good governance which the party is providing through President Buhari who despite the difficult times occasioned by global economic challenges, is breaking new grounds in the provision of infrastructure that the country has lacked so much.
“As a progressive family, sir, we shall remain committed to the party and undoubted to its manifesto in spite of all challenges and shall continue to lend support to the party leadership so that our election shall be the easiest within the political history of Nigeria.
“We believe as a progressive family and our ability to discharge our duties will contribute to our collective aspirations in building a strong bond between Nigeria and members of the International Community.
“It is in this context your Excellency that we wish to specifically appeal that the party should continue to carry us along all through the party affairs, hence distance is no barrier to active partisanship”, he said.
