By Rabiu Doma, Nasarawa
Former National chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, The PDP, Audu Ogbeh alongside three ex-Governors of Benue, Nasarawa and one-time military Governor of Kwara state stormed Lafia in an eye-opener visit where stalwarts of the All Progressive Congress readied to whisk away power from the incumbent senate president, Senator David Mark.
The position of the APC heavyweight was made clear when the former military Governor of Kwara state and the National Vice Chairman of the APC North-Central zone, Retired General Ahmed Aboki addressed the senate minority leader, George Akume as senate president in the making.
It raised suspicious that the APC might be making a secret move to impeach the senate president, who is from the PDP fold – that is if more senators decamp to the APC. General Aboki gave the indication at a political gathering tagged League of patriotic and progressive Youths.
The vice chairman of APC North-Central and former minister of communication called on youth to be vanguard to effect change in the leadership of the country come 2015.
Also speaking at the occasion, the first elected Governor of Nasarawa state, Abdullahi Adamu who described youth as the backbone of the society to rise up to the present day challenges,” Youth must be the engine room and vanguard for change if we really need change “.
This my first appearance in pure political gathering in the state, APC is a wind of change ,and we in APC are not associated with failure and all we are thinking of is change ,said senator Adamu who is the current senator representing Nasarawa west senatorial district under the auspices of the PDP before he jump ship to the APC.
The two time Governor from 1999-2007 task APC youths to strive towards the success of the party at all times, full of enthusiasm he stated that the APC will have a landslide victory at 2015 presidential election, senator Adamu said the party is on the threshold of taking over more states.
The former national chairman of the PDP ,Audu Ogbeh in a paper presentation title “Political Leadership in Nigeria ,challenges and prospect, identified unemployment in the country as a time bomb ready to explode ,saying the APC is the only solution to the nagging problem.
Calling on Nigerian youth and politicians to shun sycophancy, hero worshiping, He further asserted that Nigeria was enveloped by malaria, typhoid and other horrible ailment, attributing the Woo’s of the nation to bad leadership.
Our youth been the leaders of tomorrow should ask us why are we poor?
Why are we importing rice from china? “we denied ourselves 6000 jobs by relying on importation of food like staple food.
“the last time I was in Guangzhou china I discover that 100 Nigeria youth are in Guangzhou prison “expressing dissatisfaction over the way and manner the affairs of the country were run by selfish politicians.
Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura called on youth in the state to turn out en-mass to get registered in the forthcoming membership registrations in the state, stating that acquiring the membership card of the party will determine the landslide victory of the party at the forthcoming council poll and 2015 general election.
The Governor also expressed delighted that Nigerian Youths are beginning to take a keener interest in the governance of our dear country. It was the same patriotic zeal for national salvation that gave birth to the first merger of major Political parties in Nigeria into the All Progressive Congress.
“ It is instructive to note that, at the early stage of efforts to consolidate the merger of the interested political parties, the APC was not given any chance to succeed by our detractors but today the formation of the Party is being celebrated all over the world as the beginning of real opposition politics in Nigeria”.
Adding that,” It is heartwarming today that most cynics and indeed individuals that are interested in the political future of Nigeria, have come to the conclusion that APC is a CHANGE idea whose time has come. Even before now, Nigerians in their desperate yearning for an enduring Positive change had already started advocating for such a vehicle which the APC now represents.
“We must not take the clamour for CHANGE by Nigerians and her youths for granted! We must not fold our hands and expect CHANGE to occur! We must be ready to struggle for this much needed CHANGE in our country together with the leadership of the APC at all levels. We must Organize Nigerians for the CHANGE we have always talked about. We must Join our hands together in solidarity with our youths whose future is most imperiled by the current sad state of affairs in Nigeria especially as orchestrated by the party at the center”.
Governor Al-Makura also commend the efforts of progressive youth Groups like the League of Patriotic and Progressive Youths (Young Patriots) for demonstrating most audaciously what the APC believes in and preaches which is commitment, sacrifice, issue based politics and Promotion of good governance”.
