Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been urged not to engage in bitter political rivalry and vendetta that will lead the party to nowhere in 2023, but to deploy the best possible ways of resolving its crisis ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule gave the advice at a meeting involving all APC candidates in the 2023 general elections, as well as members of the State Working Committee of APC, at the Government House in Lafia.
Governor Sule then advised the party members not to be confrontational in their approach and tasked candidates of the party to find ways of pacifying aggrieved members who took them to court after the APC primary election.
The governor who noted that, some members of the party are seen involved in anti-party activities, said as the leader of the party in the state, he would not watch such happening to the detriment of the party.
He stressed that APC members must ensure they work for the success of the party at various levels of the election come 2023.
While acknowledging that the APC in Nasarawa State is experiencing some challenges that are mostly self-inflicted, arising from the recently held party primaries, Sule however, appealed to members of the party to put this behind them and to forge ahead.
“It’s the responsibility of the candidates of party to carry along all those that were not successful at the primaries, rather than engaging in bitter political rivalry and vendetta.
“We cannot continue to look back. But part of the responsibility remains with us, the candidates. Because if you are a candidate, you have a responsibility to try as much as possible to carry along the other aspirants.
“It’s not a war. It was just primaries that were conducted. True or false, right or wrong, they have been conducted. And we must put them behind us, we must find ways to so that the party can move as a team,” he stated.
The Governor equally appealed to members of the party to understand with those who felt they must challenge the outcome of the primaries in court, as according to him, there’s room for everybody under his government.
“We must find ways, irrespective of who is right, who is wrong, to work together. In fact, it’s the main reason why I said I will invite you and plead with you, with all of us, to find ways to work together as a team. Because we need everybody,” he said.
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Sule called on the party members to desist antiparty activities but to selflessly work for the party to ensure that the APC wins the governorship, all national and state assembly seats.
He further called on candidates to eschew campaigns of calumny and to desist from confrontational approach, which would be detrimental to the interest of the party.
“I want you to please find ways to be able to avoid all kinds of erratic statements that will anger the other party. Because if we go to campaign and make use of language that will anger them, it makes it difficult to plead with them to come back. While we try to pacify the others, we must find ways to start working,” the Governor said.
Sule emphasized that, the APC could not afford to lose a single seat to the opposition and this could only be achieved if members of the party work conscientiously to deliver the party and its candidates.
“All of you know the challenges you have in your various constituencies. You know them even better than myself. You know how to go about solving them. And you know it’s not going to be confrontational. Confrontation will not solve the problem. You know the way to solve the problem will be by pacifying people, by being polite, by avoiding controversy,” he added
He assured that, as the state coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima campaign organisation, he is going to work hand in hand with the candidates, officials and members of the party, to ensure the APC wins the presidential election in Nasarawa State.
Earlier, the state Chairman of the APC, John Mamman said, the meeting, which was at the instance of the Governor, was meant for the candidates of the party to familiarise themselves and to strategies on how to deliver the party during the coming general elections.
Mamman disclosed that, the APC is fielding 33 candidates in the 2023 general elections comprising of the governor/deputy, three senatorial, five house of representative and 24 state assembly candidates.
The APC state Chairman appealed to members of the party to be issue based and to avoid taking political campaigns to churches, mosques or even government offices.
He urged them against thuggery, saying it contravenes the new electoral law, hence they should shun bitter political rivalry, stressing that, it’s their responsibility to deliver all the candidates of the party during the coming election.
“We cannot afford to lose out because our party has worked so hard. We have all of you here as candidates, very credible candidates that we can market.
“Though primaries have come and gone. What remains now is that the candidates are the party and the party is the candidates. Because if we don’t have you in the various offices, then the party becomes another thing and may God forbids that,” he stated.
The APC Chairman also called on the opposition parties to conduct their affairs with decorum and to avoid acts capable of throwing the state into confusion.
“What is important to all of us, is a collective Nasarawa State, a Nasarawa State that will develop more than any other state,” Mamman added.
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