The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Sunday urged the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee to stamp out injustice from the All Progressives Congress.
Both leaders, who gave the advice at the APC national convention on Sunday, are some of the leaders of the disgruntled members of the nPDP bloc.
Saraki, in his remark, said the APC must stamp out injustice and bring all members together to work as a team, noteding that there were challenges on the ground which the leadership must “take head on.”
“As we look into the future, we must ask ourselves; how have we been successful so far? How were we able to win an election against all sorts of opposition? We did it because we were courageous. We did it because we made sacrifices. We worked as a team and we put in our all. And that is what it takes to get this achievement. Do we have challenges? Of course, we have. But the responsibility of leadership is to tackle challenges and take them head on. It is irresponsible of leadership not to take on challenges and find solutions.
“Mr Chairman, you have spoken so well because you admitted that there are challenges. But you said, which I must praise, that immediately you set to work, you will address those challenges. As full as this place is now, there are those who should be here who are not here. We need them.
“I say this with all sense of responsibility and purpose that the intention of all this is to make Nigeria better. Mr Chairman, I have a lot of confidence in you. I know you have the capacity to do it; the capacity to do it is for us to make sure that we stamp out injustice. We bring respect to all of us and work as a team.”
In his remarks, Dogara charged the new National Working Committee to ensure equity and justice in the APC.
The Speaker noted that there were no challenges that did not have solutions. He stressed that if the party searched deeper, it would get solutions to the challenges “confronting this movement.”
Dogara added, “One issue that I want to dwell on is the issue of justice, which we know that Mr. President stands on. He stands for the common man and his strength has been the common man. It is therefore very important that the leadership of the newly-elected executive creates equal opportunities for the weak and the strong. Challenges will come but we will always rise above them.
“I want to charge you also, to maintain the culture of democracy which is conflict, compromise, consensus and progress. Without conflict, there can’t be progress. So, the escalation of constructive conflicts is good for progress. And the management of these problems is what will lead to further progress for this great party and for our great nation.”
Earlier, Oshiomhole had told party leaders that efforts put into the growth of the party must henceforth be rewarded to avoid grumblings among members.
Oshiomhole said this in his inaugural address to party members after the APC national convention held in Abuja, on Sunday.
The new party chairman eulogised party leaders such as Chief Bisi Akande, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as well as the five governors who formed the new Peoples Democratic Party on the platform of which they joined other political parties to form the APC in 2014.
He said the foundation laid by Akande as the APC interim chairman paved the way for the convention which produced Chief John Odigie-Oyegun as the national chairman who led the then opposition party to defeat an incumbent ruling party.
“I want to also acknowledge the role played by our national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Jagaban of the universe, who our President often fondly refers to as his partner and dear friend. Mr President, that solid partnership made the difference and substantially steered us to victory that Nigerians gave to us in 2015.
Praising Odigie-Oyegun, Oshiomhole said, “He is the only national chairman of the party that concluded his tenure in honour and glory. It is important to note that the other party, for the about 17 years, had 14 national chairmen that gives an average of about 1.3 years per national chairman. So since 1999, no chairman of a ruling party has accomplished what my elder brother has accomplished.”