Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, on Wednesday, vowed that his new party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, will chase out the “cabal” currently running the country in the 2015 presidential election.
Apparently referring to the PDP-led federal government, the Speaker said the APC was the only party that could give Nigerians hope and urged its members to unite in order to achieve the task.
Tambuwal spoke at the APC’s extraordinary non-elective national convention held at the Old Parade Ground, Abuja Wednesday, a day after he announced his defection on the floor of the Green Chamber.
The Speaker, who formally announced his membership of the opposition party on Tuesday after months of speculations that he would dump the ruling PDP, arrived the venue of the convention accompanied by several members of the lower chamber, who the master of ceremony, Dino Melaye put at about 100.
His arrival was greeted with thunderous cheers from the party delegates from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, who hailed “Tambuwal oyoyo! Tambuwal oyoyo! for about two minutes.
Tambuwal was subsequently invited to the podium by the National Chairman of the APC, John Oyegun, who, in excitement described him as the newest member of the party.
Accompanied by some APC lawmakers, including the Minority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Abdulmumni Jubrin, the Speaker greeted party members after which he was presented with a bunch of broom, amid cheers from the party’s delegates.
Apparently excited, Tambuwal, who had a prepared speech but initially spoke extempore, said the APC would oust the ruling PDP next year.
“To the glory of God, come May 29, 2015, we shall sweep away……(you get the message,” Tambuwal said while raising the broom (APC symbol) and acknowledging cheers from the enthusiastic party members.
“APC is the only party that is giving Nigeria hope and we shall deliver Nigeria from the evil that it has been plunged into by a certain cabal.”
The Speaker said he was glad to be part of the APC family, adding that he was overwhelmed by the massive outpouring of goodwill and welcome that he had received from members of the party and other well-meaning Nigerians since his formal notification of his membership of the party.
He said, “And in appreciation of your warm hand of fellowship, I hereby rededicate myself to the task of building and growing our party, and helping our party achieve its mission of lifting Nigeria to glorious heights and restoring hope to the citizens of our great country.
“In this regard, I hereby call on all other like minded Nigerians to join this movement to deliver on the promise of a new Nigeria.”
The APC, according to him, is the party where the progressive ideals of good governance to which he subscribe were wholeheartedly embraced and applied for the betterment of Nigeria.
He stressed, “I have embraced the APC platform as a veritable instrument for genuine change and enduring national development. We must constantly remind ourselves that Nigerians yearn for true change and APC represents the hope for this change, and a promise of a brighter tomorrow.”
Tambuwal noted that the work may appear tedious and the road ahead may appear long and hard, but the party was amply endowed with all the key ingredients of success.
According to him, the APC members would need unity and solidarity in their ranks in order to face the challenges ahead.
“In the weeks ahead, we will engage party men and women and Nigerians on the future direction of our nation and means of rescuing her from the malaise of youth unemployment, insecurity, institutionalized corruption, poverty, socio-economic decline and infrastructural decay.”
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