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National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has begged the sacked members of the National Working Committee (NWC) pf the party to “sheathe their swords”.
Asiwaju Tinubu made the plea in a statement he issued on Saturday,
His plea is coming few days after the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, dissolved the NWC and appointed a caretaker committee.
Consequently, some aggrieved members of the disbanded NWC threatened to drag President Buhari and the NEC to court.
Others, however, pledged loyalty to the party and the president.
That includes former national chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, and former acting national chairman, Hon. Victor Giadom.
Tinubu reacts
On his part, Tinubu appealed to all former NWC members, as well as all members of the party to act with restraint.
He urged them to “sheathe their swords and look to the larger picture, the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo”.
Tinubu lauded Oshiomhole “for his equanimity and loyalty to the party and… President”.
He said Oshiomhole should return to Edo State spearhead the campaign for the election of Pastor Ize-Iyamu, the party’s flag-bearer in the forthcoming governorship election.
To the party members, he asked to make sacrifice to enable the party assume its proper role of helping this government to lead the nation.
The statement reads as follows:
I begin by commending former members of the NWC.
Under their collective stewardship, the party earned great and important victories and the overall electoral success of APC speak highly of them.
Yet, for some months we have experienced growing disagreement within the leadership of the party.
This unfortunate competition had grown so intense as to impair the performance of the party and undermining internal cohesion and discipline.
If not checked, we will be in danger of losing our collective purpose.
A political party that has lost sight of the reason for its existence becomes little more than vehicle of blind and clashing ambitions.
This is not what drove the APC’s creation.
Those who were there and contributed most to the party’s genesis embraced a common vision of progressive good governance.
Sadly, while many of us remain faithful to our ideals, a significant few have allowed personal ambition to trump national imperatives.
Such displays are the behaviour of a fight club not the culture of a progressive political party.
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For the average man, watching politicians wrestle for position is a poor substitute to seeing them working for the benefit of all, building roads and creating jobs.
It had been my hope that the disagreements within our party could eventually be resolved.
After all, a political solution should not be beyond the ken of leaders of a major political party.
Unfortunately, such resolution has failed to materialise.
Instead, our unity has suffered under a barrage of lawsuits so numerous a spreadsheet is required to keep track. President Buhari has decided that he has seen enough. I agree with him.
I do not lament his intervention or its outcome. I lament that the situation degenerated to the point where he felt compelled to intervene.
The President has spoken and his decision has been accepted. Our job is to recommit to our founding ideals and principles.
Members must subordinate their ambitions to the health and well-being of the party.
Never should our party be defined by one person’s interests or even the amalgam of all members’ individual interests.
A successful party must be greater than the sum of its parts.
In this vein, I appeal to all former members of the National Working Committee and all members of our party to sheathe their swords and look to the larger picture, the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo.
I applaud Comrade Oshiomhole for his equanimity and loyalty to the party and our President and I encourage him, now, to return to Edo State to energise the campaign for the election of Pastor Ize-Iyamu.
To those who have been actively bleating how the President’s actions and the NEC meeting have ended my purported 2023 ambitions, I seek your pity.
Already, you have witnessed the demise of an alleged political ambition that is yet even to be born.
I trust the discerning public will give your over-excited prognostication the scant weight such divination deserves.
I have toiled for this party as much as any other person.
Despite this or perhaps because of it, I have no problem with making personal sacrifices as long as the party remains true to its progressive, democratic creed.
Politics is but a vehicle to arrive at good governance.
My fellow party members, I urge you to accept the sacrifice you have been asked to make so that the party can assume its proper role of helping this government lead the nation toward enlightened improvement.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
