The All Progressives Congress (APC) has thanked all Nigerians for their congratulatory messages and words of encouragement, following the party’s hugely successful inaugural national convention in Abuja on Friday that saw the emergence of an elected National Executive Committee, led by the highly-respected Chief John Oyegun, to guide the affairs of the party.
”We are encouraged and gratified by the goodwill messages from a cross section of Nigerians, many of them from outside our party, especially on the openness and transparency of our convention,” the party said in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
”This massive support from Nigerians has strengthened our resolve to continue with our efforts to move our country forward. Now, we are back to work and we will not look back until Nigeria has been rescued from the grip of a rapacious cabal intent on stifling the country’s progress,” it said.
APC also thanked all its members and supporters for their demonstrated commitment to the sustenance of democracy and the upliftment of Nigeria, saying even when a rainstorm started midway into the convention, the delegates were undaunted as they defied the weather to protect the ballox boxes and cast their votes.
”When the entire public address system succumbed to the rains, our members moved from one state delegation to another to mobilize then to vote. When the rain started, they were more interested in protecting the ballot boxes than shielding themselves from the rain.
”It is also noteworthy that no cases of violence and pick-pocketing were recorded despite the massive turnout at the Eagle Square for the convention. Not even the threatening text messages sent to the phones of many delegates at the convention, over a purported impending bomb attack, could shake their resolve. There can be no better testament to commitment to a cause, the cause of rescuing Nigeria, than this,” the party said
APC assured Nigerians that in the days ahead, the party will be providing more details of its Road Map that will lead it to the creation of a new and prosperous Nigeria for the benefit of all her people.
”The agenda we have placed in the public domain to showcase our party’s determination to change the face of the country includes job creation; war against corruption; free, relevant quality education; restoration of agriculture; housing, improved healthcare; social welfare plan for the less privileged; greater attention to roads, power and infrastructure; better management of natural resources and strengthening peace, security and foreign policy.
”But based on the nationwide scientific poll we conducted across the 36 states and the federal capital, we have identified three sectors that would command special attention. They are job creation, war against corruption as well as security. These sectors will get immediate and special attention from an APC-led federal government, starting on May 29th 2015, by the votes of Nigerians and the Grace of God,” the party said.
It said the achievements of all the Governors in the 16 states controlled by the APC will also be showcased to Nigerians, as part of efforts to make them realize that with the emergence of the APC, it will no longer be business as usual.
Meanwhile the party has repeated its call on the PDP-led federal government to do everything humanly possible to secure the release of the over 200 school girls who were abducted by Boko Haram on April 14th 2014.
”It is now over two months since these girls were separated from their families and no one knows under what conditions they are being held. As long as these girls are missing, something is missing in all of us. We therefore repeat our appeal to the federal government to leave no stone unturned in its efforts to bring back the girls safely
”We hereby reiterate our support and cooperation for all the efforts that could reunite these girls with their families. We insist that only a non-partisan and concerted effort by all and sundry will help to galvanize a national front against Boko Haram, which is daily killing and maiming our people and stunting the country’s growth,” it said
