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I Want To Be APC National Chairman —Mustapha
Weeks into the convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Mallam Saliu Mustapha has declared his ambition for the post of National Chairman of the ruling party.
Speaking to newsmen recent, Mallam Saliu revealed himself as a development and commercial real estate consultant, a consummate progressive by choice and a passionate patriot by conviction, asserting that having the privilege of being one of the top members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) who consummated the merger with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to form the party that did the unthinkable by unseating the political behemoth called the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after 16 years in power, he would be contending for the office of the National Chairman of the APC.
Responding to how he and others were able to achieve the momentous feat of forming a merger part of the APC and unseating the incumbent president, he said, “We focused on politics with a heart, with the people in mind, from the rural areas to the metropolis, from the grassroots to the up-shoots.
“We embodied the hopes of a better country and better politics in 2015 with the Change mandate, and guess what? The people showed their trust and belief by electing us for a second term in office in 2019.
“We also brought more states under the APC banner as our message of progressive change caught the imagination and hopes of the people. However, this is not the time to rest on our oars. We must seize the initiative and press on with the momentum and confidence from these wins. I must commend the valiant efforts of our party leadership and all previous executives. You laid the foundation; ours are the shoulders of giants on which we will build a formidable party and a prosperous nation”.
He, however, said that things have not all been roses and chocolates in the APC because there had been some challenging periods, one of which birthed the current Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) ably led by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State with a mandate of stabilising and solidifying the core values of the party.
Talking about his political ideology, the politics of development, he explained it is a political culture that leverages on the inclusion and will of the people to achieve national development.
According to him, “I am of the strong opinion that our national politics needs to evolve to the next incarnation. Having shown the way, let us hold up the light to illuminate the land! Politics should not be seen as merely a tool to ‘corner’ power; it should be a holistic platform for progressive social, cultural and existential growth.
It should speak for the people, be subsumed in the people and ultimately, represent the people.
“As one who has grown within the political system, a bridge between the past and the future, I have the distinct advantage of unbiased perspective. We have seen the issues, we have identified the winning formula. We will fortify our wins and reduce opportunities for corrosive developments. We will lead from the front by providing firm, inclusive, proactive, disciplined, fair and transparent leadership”.
Mallam Saliu also noted that the proposed party governance approach under his stewardship would ensure that every member is recognised and acknowledged; everyone would have a voice since all members are all vested stakeholders in the common good.