APC To Open Functional Offices In 8,813 Wards

• Yusuf Oketola

National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje has revealed plans to establish functional party offices in all the 8,813 wards across the country to bring the party closer to the people.

Ganduje also disclosed that the APC is at the concluding stage of establishing a National Institute of Progressive Studies.

Speaking on Saturday in Lokoja the Kogi state capital during the inauguration of the leadership and members of the APC National Gubernatorial Campaign Council for the state, Ganduje called on all party members and stakeholders to rally around the APC governorship candidate, Alhaji Ododo Ahmed Usman to succeed in the forthcoming election.

According to the him, the ruling party believes that progressivism as a political ideology can be deployed to improve the lives of millions of Nigerians and improve society through appropriate political actions and social reforms based on advancement in Science, Technology, Economic Development and Social Organization.

Ganduje said; “I will like to therefore call on all our party members and stakeholders to rally round our candidate so that our party will succeed. By so doing, all the legacy projects would be sustained and there will be continuation in governance. As a party, we are committed to working hard individually and collectively to realize these goals and objectives.

“It is pertinent to also note that we have initiated and concluded plans to structure our party into a truly grassroots progressive party by opening full-fledged and functional offices in all 8,813 wards in Nigeria.

“This is to enable our members across the country to have both a symbolic representation of our party in their neighbourhood and a place for active interaction between and among members on one hand, and members and leadership at different tiers of government on the other hand.

“In addition, our vision is to institutionalize the progressive ideology in the body politic of our country. We indeed believe that progressivism as a political ideology can be deployed to improve the lives of millions of our compatriots and improve our society through appropriate political action and social reform based on advancement in Science, Technology, Economic Development and Social Organization. To crystalize this vision, we are at the concluding stage of establishing a National Institute of Progressive Study.

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“This Institute, going forward, will facilitate the channelling and integrating the nation’s progressive minded politicians into the substance, orientation and practise of progressive ideology and political best practices. This will certainly amplify our differences from other political parties that are only interested in capturing power.

“We will ensure that with the kind of graduates our National Institute will be producing from time to time, the Nigerian political space will be populated by truly progressive-minded politicians.”

The former Kano state governor, however, called on all Nigerians “to remain patient and continue to support President Bola Tinubu in his efforts to address the economic challenges facing the country.

The inauguration was attended by six governors of Kogi, Ogun, Lagos, Niger, Benue and Kwara states respectively.

Also in attendance were former governors, Senators and several other party stalwarts across the country.

While inaugurating the campaign team, Ganduje expressed confidence in the capacity of the Chairman and the Co-Chairmen as well as the committee members to deliver and ensure the victory of the party.

“It is also my belief that the innovations the Campaign Council will initiate during the campaign period will convince the electorate that the APC remains the only option for development, the only alternative for good governance and the only political vehicle to convey the people of Kogi State, and indeed, Nigeria, to the place of our collective aspiration of prosperity and development.

In his speech, Governor Yahaya Bello, while thanking President Tinubu, expressed confidence and assurance that the party will ride to victory smoothly in the November 11 election.

“If you see these cream-de-la-cream that have come to support us in this coming election, I can assure you that victory is ours. There is nobody contesting against us. We have Hon. Usman Ododo who is coming to consolidate on our achievements.

“This election is a landslide victory. Nobody try GYB with violence and go scot-free. Go out and cast your vote. This election shall be a landslide victory for our party.”

In his response, the Chairman of the Kogi Gubernatorial National Campaign Council and Ogun state governor, Dapo Abiodun, thanked the leadership of the party and assured that his team will deliver as expected.