“We will call corruption by its name and fight it with the vehemence it deserves,” its National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, pledged during a press briefing on Thursday. “We will restore the faith of the public in the necessity for leaders to live honestly and lead with vision, competence and compassion.
Chief Oyegun stated that the APC will collaborate and cooperate with the states in the true practice of a federal relationship, running an all-inclusive government and seeking the views of all segments including the positive ideas of opposition parties in the formulation and execution of government policies.
“Two days ago, you heard President Goodluck Jonathan announce himself as the candidate of the PDP and asked Nigerians for another four years as President,” he said.
“You heard a lot of claims, misrepresentations and voodoo statistics, none of which can stand the barest scrutiny. Disregard them! You heard excuses for failure to fix basic infrastructure, arrest unprecedented levels of corruption and halt the march of terrorists daily inching nearer all of us. You heard promises that sound familiar because you have heard them all before since his six (6) years as President. Do not give the party that has savaged Nigeria in the last 16 years an opportunity to finally finish off our dear nation. The PDP cannot deliver on any of the same promises it has failed to honour in over a decade and a half in power.”
He pointed out that the 2015 election will be decided on the character and leadership qualities of the Nigerian President, stressing that the Commander-in-Chief should also be “Consoler-in-Chief” who brings comfort and succor to Nigerians in time of grief and distress.
“You heard two days ago President Jonathan saying that good leaders do not walk away from the people, sadly though the statement is true, our President who wants another four years does not show evidence of sympathy for hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens who are now Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) as a result of the occupation of their land by Boko Haram. He brings no relief or comfort to those living under the reign of terror. About 50 young Nigerian School Children were killed and several others injured in Potiskum just a few days before the extravaganza show of his declaration. Yet we do not hear of a Presidential visit to the families of the victims, a pattern that has become usual. Our President lives in his comfort zone, content to utter words, and ‘minutes of silence’ that have no meaning to the victims.”
President Jonathan, he underlined, has abandoned the Nigerian people, and the APC chairman called on Nigerians to end their journey with him and elect a leader in 2015 who will be part of their lives and lead with courage and empathy.
To that end, he appealed to all Nigerians to endeavour to collect their Permanent Voters Cards, and use them to vote out the PDP and vote in the brighter, safer and more prosperous future, which the APC represents.
He also called on the electoral commission, the security agencies and other institutions of government to discharge their responsibilities courageously, fairly and firmly, stressing that their prime responsibility is to Nigeria.
“I appeal to the international community to remain vigilant and continue to work with all Nigerians to ensure that the 2015 elections are credible. On our part, we remain committed to respecting the integrity of the electoral process, and we will discourage its subversion and will resist vigorously the use of violence, official or otherwise, to prevent the triumph of the will of the people.”
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