Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Monday said for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to survive, there must be a deliberate and effective system of leadership recruitment that identifies and prepares people, especially the youth, to occupy the important offices of party and government.
The speaker, who spoke at the maiden edition of the APC Progressive Youth Conference held at the International Conference Centre in Abuja with theme ‘The Future Is A Decision’, said that was the practice all over the world, especially in countries where democracy had developed over the years.
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Gbajabiamila said the party needed to identify competent people both at home and in the diaspora and bring them on board to be “effective champions of progressivism in the country and in government.”
The speaker also said translating good manifestos into policies by political parties remained the foundation for achievements.
Retrogressive elements causing confusion — Buni
Also speaking, Yobe State Governor and Chairman of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee Mai Mala Buni has said retrogressive elements with evil interests are causing confusion in the party.
He said disgruntled elements in the party were bent on disuniting the party members.
Daily Trust reports that there is anger in the APC sequel to the failure of the caretaker committee to organise a national convention this month which marks the end of its timeline.
Credible sources in the party confided in our correspondent that some party members were preparing to sue the caretaker committee should its tenure is extended beyond this month.
Buni, who described them as unpatriotic, called on youths in the party not to allow themselves to be manipulated by those elements.
He said the party was undergoing complete rebirth, recovery, rehabilitation, rejuvenation and repositioning ahead of the 2023 general poll.
The governor added that his leadership has rescued “a troubled party” that was heading for total collapse due to internal squabbles, and appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari for supporting the initiatives of the caretaker committee.
“As the most energetic segment of the population, retrogressive elements with evil interests in causing confusion, creating and fanning hate and disunity will always rely on you to achieve such negative and unpatriotic tendencies and to destroy your future. You must resist them.
“You should never allow yourselves to be used as tools in the hands of these treacherous elements.
“It is a fact that the future of our great party, the APC and indeed, the country, lies in our youth,” he said.
A former governor of Imo State and one of the founding fathers of the party, Senator Rochas Okorocha, who spoke at the event said, “Nigerian youths should stop procrastinating.”
“They should be focused and must rise and take their place. Power is taken not given. The life and future of the country is in your hands,” he said.
