A rebel group announced its excision from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday, calling itself Reformed APC (R-APC).
Alhaji Buba Galadima, an engineer from Gashua, Yobe State, and former secretary of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change was introduced as the National Chairman of the group.
He told a press conference at the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja that the R-APC includes all the progressive forces in the APC, without mentioning the names, except the parade of paperweight politicians who were named as ‘officers’.
A major political player, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, chairman of the New Peoples Democratic Party that had joined the APC in 2014, was at the conference.
He said on Sunday in Ilorin that the New PDP would make its stand known this week. His presence may therefore be taken that the R-APC and n-PDP are one and the same.
Galadima, who had expressed frustrations very early in the life of the APC government claimed members of the R-APC included most of the leading members of the defunct new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and others.
Galadima recalled that in the build up to the 2015 General elections, some political parties and groups came together, and formed a brand called the APC.
He said Nigerians however entrusted power to the APC based on its promises and potentials.
“We are sad to report that after more than three years of governance, our hopes have been betrayed, our expectations completely dashed.
“The APC has run a rudderless, inept and incompetent government that has failed to deliver good governance to the Nigerian people.
“It has rather imposed dictatorship, impunity, abuse of power, complete abdication of constitutional and statutory responsibilities, infidelity to the rule of law and constitutionalism.
“It has failed to ensure the security and welfare of our people and elevated nepotism to unacceptable height. The APC has failed to deliver on its key promises to the nation.
“There is no evidence of any political will to reverse the decline of our party, while leaders who have created these circumstances continue to behave as if Nigerians owe our party votes as a matter of right.`’
“The APC government, has been a monumental disaster, even worse than the government it replaced.
“The political party that was a vehicle for enthroning the government was rendered powerless by manipulations and complete lack of due process in its operations.’’
Galadima said the last straw, that broke the party was the congresses and Convention of the APC held recently.
He said that the congresses were intensely disputed as it was conducted with impunity, total disregard for due process, disregard for the party constitution and naked display of power and practices that had no place in the party.
Galadima, who said the R-APC was the real party, said the reformed party would work with like-minded political parties and groups to offer Nigeria qualitative good governance in 2019.
He added that the party would in concert with others offer real change to Nigeria and “not fake change.’’
He called on all Nigerians, not to despair as a rescue plan was in the works and would be unfolded soon.
Answering questions, Galadima promised to deliver 75 per cent of the votes that president Muhammadu Buhari always could gather in any election.
The new Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole sued for calm and asked disgruntled party members to sheathe their swords.
NAN
Emeh Achanga,the CEO of the Miss Petite Nigeria Brand is a lawyer turned blogger. She is very passionate about writing, with several publications and awards to her credit .She is currently working on publishing a collection of short stories which are basically a memoir about her exciting true experiences.
