The newly elected National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has said those who aspired but lost in the quest to be the members of the National Working Committee of the ruling party lost because it is not God’s time.
Adamu, the anointed candidate of President Muhammadu Buhari, had emerged as a consensus candidate after six other aspirants withdrew from the race in the early hours of Saturday – day of the Convention.
- Certificate scandal: I cried every day for three months – Kemi Adeosun
- Borno, Zamfara emerge winners of 36th National Qur’anic recitation competition
Those who stepped down are former Governors, Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), George Akume (Benue), Abdul’aziz Yari (Zamfara), Kwara APC Chieftain, Saliu Mustapha, Niger Senator, Sani Musa, and Muhammed Etsu.
Akume announced withdrawal of all the aspirants in a letter sent to the Chairman of the APC Election Sub-Committee.
The convention saw aspirants who also vied for other key NWC positions pulling out of the race amid intrigues and political maneuvering.
In his acceptance speech, the 75-year-old former governor said those who contested but lost, would succeed in God’s time.
He said politicians are “not strangers to gains, losses and disappointments with the outcome of every political contest.”
Adamu saluted their sportsmanship spirit and sought for their cooperation as loyal party members and patriots.
Adamu said, “I wish to also congratulate the great party men and women who also aspired to occupy these national offices of our great party. They did not succeed this time but in God’s time, many of them will yet realise their ambitions to serve our party and country in many other positions of responsibility. As politicians we are not strangers to gains, losses and disappointments with the outcome of every political contest. Let us show maturity and good sportsmanship and accept the outcome of this Convention with grace.
“Our party needs all hands on the steering wheel so that together we can steer the ship of state through the inclement weather of our divisive national politics to the promised land. I thank all of them very much for their spirit of sportsmanship and we will continue to count on their cooperation as loyal party members and patriots.”