A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Saliu Mustapha, has expressed confidence in becoming the next National Chairman of the ruling party.
The Turaki of Ilorin Emirate disclosed that he is very well prepared for the APC national convention slated for February 26, adding that he is waiting for the modalities and the zoning arrangement ahead of the event.
Mustapha opined that he can defeat the likes of former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, former governor of Borno state, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and ex-governors of Bauchi and Gombe states, Isa Yuguda and Danuma Goje, to emerge the next chairman of the party.
In an interview with The PUNCH over the weekend, Mustapha stated that if he becomes the APC national chairman, he will help to bring about a rancour-free party where everyone will have a sense of belonging.
“As I said in my slogan, I have said that I want to do things differently. First and foremost, I want to help to bring about a rancour-free party where everyone will have a sense of belonging.
“I also want to make sure that I lead the APC to another victory at the polls next year so that the party can consolidate on the good works so far recorded by this administration. It is when the APC is able to produce another government that it would be able to sustain the legacy of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We will ensure that popular candidates emerge at the primaries so that you can scale hurdles that could arise in marketing them during elections. We will also enthrone party discipline and party supremacy so that we can have a uniform approach to governance in all our states.
“We want people that will subscribe to the party’s manifesto. We need ministers, senators and governors that will promote the party’s ideology.
“I also plan to set up an institute for the APC known as the Progressives Institute of Nigeria which would help mould ideas and give the party a proper ideology. The institute will help to advance good governance, party democracy and leadership through research, training and mentorship.
“This was something that the last APC leadership promised but was not able to bring to fruition. It will be like the National Democratic Institute that has helped many countries’ democracies successfully.”
Mustapha stated the party has not reached out to him or any other aspirants with a view to choosing a consensus chairmanship candidate.
He said: “I don’t know about that. Nobody has reached out to me and none of my co-contestants has called me. But these are wishes by concerned members of the party but we have not reached that stage yet. That is why I said we are still waiting for these directives on how the process will take place.”
