"REVALIDATION OF APC MEMBERSHIP IS A WASTE" -- HON AHMED MUSA. FORMER SA TO GOVERNOR OSUNBOR.

 

"Let me say from the beginning that am a core party man. But honestly I do not believe in this ongoing party membership revalidation exercise of my party the All Progressive Congress (APC). For me it is a big waste of resources. I see it as an avenue to squander the party's funds that should have been kept for the rainy day. You will agree that the party raised much of these funds from members who purchased forms for the 2019 general elections from the Houses of Assembly to governorship, and the House of Representatives to Senate. A lot of Party members spent money. There were those who were asked to step down for others but bought the relevant forms and there are those who contested primaries and lost or due to consensus, lost out. The party ought to have made some refunds to these members to compensate them but they have been completely ignored.  All the monies they paid went into the party coffers. That is the money the party under the leadership of the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the party, Governor Buni, now wants to squander on this wasteful scheme. 

My expectations when the committee was set up was that it will look at the challenges facing the party as it relates to all the promises it made to Nigerians in 2015 and how far and he well it has been able to actualize them. The party ought to be looking at where have we failed, why and how do we get it right. These are the issues. Here is a party that promised Nigerians security of their lives and properties. Have they achieved this? People cannot travelled freely to any part of the country because of insecurity. Its all that cannot afford helicopters.

My brother, Prince Abudah, who travelled home from abroad was just kidnapped and killed last week by herdsmen on his way to Lagos to go back overseas. The party has got it all wrong.  What of its promise on corruption? In the government of President Muhammad Buhari, everybody is corrupt right now. Look at the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC under Minister Akpabio, nothing came put of the probe panel, for which millions of naira was expended. Has the President addressed the problems he met when he took office since 2015? The answer is No!. Yet he said he belong to nobody but to everybody but his actions has not proved it. 

Just look at the dissolution of the NEC of the party. It was agreed that it should be allowed for peace to reign. The President said he had no one in mind for the National Chairmanship but he also knows that things were done wrongly. The party crisis was because the governors along with Ministers wanted to be President and so wanted to hijack the party. 

On e very serious note, who is the APC expecting to come out and declare that they want the party membership? Yes am going to revalidate my own membership but how many Nigerians out there do you think are interested in becoming APC members. Why should they be interested? Take Edo for example: why should Nigerians in Edo state join the APC? This is Edo state where 14 APC members were elected to the State House of Assembly and till date their constituencies have been denied representation by the Governor. And APC is the national ruling party? 

Yes I believe in the exercise but I do not believe the intentions of those executing it are genuine! All I am saying is that the President should be circumspect, just like Mallam Buni. I do not see why the President and the party will be helpless with the situation of the Edo state House of Assembly. Is the situation of the assembly constitutional? Is the APC aware that this is a violation of the Constitution of Nigeria? How can an Edo person be interested in this registration so-called. It is not necessary and it's uncalled for. Some of us are watching developments in the party and as loyal party men we will do the needful and take pur decision when it is time. 

As for the governorship elections, we are in court, so I will not like to comment on it. But let me say that it is shameful that the APC lost the only state it held in the South-south of the country. They are supposed to be mourning the loss. That is what I say this registration exercise is totally worthless. 

On the statement credited to Imo state governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma that the APC will win the 2023 general elections because the party has fared well, I say he is daydreaming. Nigeria has a problem when it comes to its governors: majority are power drunk, because of the huge security vote they collect and fail to account for. So when they get intoxicated they can talk out of context like Governor Uzodinma. He ought to know that his house is on fire especially with his loss of Edo state. What has this man got to tell Nigerians that they do not know, so they will vote APC in 2023?  Has APC arrested insecurity? Is the economy functional? What of the Fired Market: who are the people selling the foreign currencies? 

I expected Governor Uzodinma to listen to Benue and Rivers States governors before talking. These are PDP governors who are speaking the truth. It would be wise to hear an APC governor speaking along the same line. If as some people feel the PDP governors are insane then let's also hear from some insane APC governors. Poor women were murdered by Herdsmen a few weeks ago, on their way to the village market. Uzodinma is talking in isolation.