Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has thrown his weight behind the moves by the Hon. Aliyu Bello led new leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to reconcile aggrieved members of the party, with a view to making the APC stronger and more united.
Engineer Sule made this known when he hosted state officials, local government area party chairmen and secretaries, led by the State Chairman of the APC, Hon. Aliyu Bello, who were on a thank-you visit at the Government House on Monday.
While expressing confidence in the new leadership of the party to resolve lingering issues within the party, the Governor aligned with Hon Bello’s decision to lead the party towards resolving certain issues that came up either before or after the primaries leading to the 2023 general elections.
“I’m very happy to hear from the chairman when he said he would work with you to resolve certain issues, either before the primaries or after the primaries.
“I think that is the right way to go. We are in the party to beat until we make mistakes on our own. If we didn’t make those mistakes, no party could even come close to us,” he stated.
Engineer Sule however urged the leadership of the party to put aside their personal interests and to work in the interest of Nasarawa State and the APC.
According to him, that is the only way the party would recover and return to its prestine stage before the 2023 general election.
“We need to take our personal interests and put them aside and look at the interest of the party first, and look at the interest of the state first. The moment we do that, we will be able to put back our team that we used to have,” he added.
The Governor noted that the party in the state could ill afford another dismal performance especially at the national assembly election, stressing that it has become necessary for the party to work hard to reconcile with all parry members that left the APC.
“I want us to work very hard to bring all our people who have left this party for one reason or the other. We must do the best we can to bring them back.
“We must also try, on the other hand, in the process of doing that, not to send the other people who are within outside. It won’t be nice to do that. We should try to keep what we have and now try to bring others back,” he stated.
He particularly urged the leadership of the party to work assiduously towards resolve the lingering crisis in Keffi, Nasarawa-Eggon, Akwanga and others.
Engineer Sule further charged the APC leadership in the state to exploit his neutrality effectively towards uniting the party. He emphasized that because he is not nursing any political ambition after completing his second term, he is in better position to unite the APC.
“Luckily for me, I am not running for any office again. As a result of that, I am in a better position to unite the party. Since I don’t have any particular interest to protect.
“I want to take that advantage of not having personal interest but the interest of the state and party. Use me where you can, to try as much as possible and strengthen our party,” he said.
The Governor however urged the party leaders and members to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness without which there won’t be genuine reconciliation.
He used the opportunity of the visit to respond to recent comments credited to the leadership of the opposition party in the state, where Chief Francis Orogu, the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), wrongly accused him of seeking intervention ahead of the judgement of the governorship election petition tribunal.
“For me, I try to joke with them. If I would make a trip to try to look for our metroline to solve the problem between FCT and Nasarawa State and somebody would say I went to beg for intervention, that’s a very unfair accusation.
“Even if we are trying to play politics, let’s try to play politics with some level of civilization,” he said.
The Governor equally used the opportunity to congratulate Hon. Aliyu Bello and Mr. Yairus Dagusa, on their emergence as the State Chairman and Secretary of the APC respectively.
“We have an excellent combination, especially with the support from the members of the team. I am serious with you. Everywhere that I have gone so far, they have commended this selection of leadership.
“We have made the right decision together. I also want to urge you, no matter how good leadership is, without your support, that leadership will not be effective and efficient,” he added.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, State Chairman of the APC, Hon. Aliyu Bello, said they were at the Government House to show appreciation to Engineer Sule for his decisive support in their recent emergence as chairman and secretary of the party.
Hon. Bello emphasized that, the party under his stewardship has resolved to accomplish the task of achieving sincere and amicable settlement of all major conflicts within the party.
“We are fully aware that a good number of key stakeholders of the party still nurse some grievances, especially as it relates to the conduct of the party primaries preceding the last general elections.
“While some of the aggrieved members remain in the party nursing their grievances, others left to join various other opposition parties. In both cases, we intend to, very soon, put in place an effective machinery with a view to address these grievances in order to achieve genuine reconciliation.
“The feelers we get are positive, and have given us hope and strong indication that, the heart of most of the aggrieved members are still with our great party. What is required is a bit of open mind. I am happy to say that the officials/ officers working with me are able, reliable and dependable,” he stated.