Senate President Ahmad Lawan on Saturday vowed that President Muhammadu Buhari will continue to provide leadership to the All Progressives Congress (APC) beyond 2023 after his exit from office.
Lawan, who described the Party’s National Convention as a strong statement by the APC, said it attests to its ability to provide leadership for the country and strengthen unity amongst members within its fold.
Speaking in Abuja at the National Convention of the ruling party, Lawan said President Buhari’s ability to sustain unity within the party against all odds, positions him favourably as the “compass” needed to give direction to the party at all times.
Lawan said, “Your Excellency, Mr. President, we can compare favourably well with any other party across the world. This is because you have provided the leadership that we need.
“Let me be explicit, you will not be on the ballot in 2023, but you will remain the leading light and moral compass of APC even after your tenure finishes.
“And, therefore, Mr. President, I’m sorry, you will have little rest, because we will never allow you to go away.”
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Lawan who hailed President Buhari for his role in ensuring Executive/Legislature harmony and the even development of all geo-political zones in the country, stressed that the President’s commitment to the implementation and completion of projects would particularly see to the eventual commissioning of the second Niger Bridge in the South-East part of the country later this year.
He commended the Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee for stabilising the All Progressives Congress in the last 18 months.
Speaking in the same vein, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the best days of the ruling party are still in the future.
The Speaker expressed the optimism in his remarks at the national convention of the party in Abuja.
He said that the success of the convention has put paid to all cynicism and apathy.
“Fellow progressives, we have travelled a long and hard road to arrive at this day. Through trial and tribulation, disagreement and reconciliation, misunderstanding and compromise, we have convened here to elect for our party a new national leadership to lead us at this critical time in the history of the progressive movement.
“But our gathering here today is more than just about an election. This convention honours the courage and sacrifice of the men and women across the length and breadth of Nigeria who banded together to build a new political movement capable of seeking and achieving political power and using that power to improve the lives of the Nigerian people.
“The All Progressives Congress (APC) is a triumph of vision over cynicism and principled action over apathy. As it was in the beginning, so it remains today. Together, we are a living monument to the principle that when patriots stand together in a righteous cause, God is ready to bless the works of their hands. And from our union of progressives has emerged substantive, long-lasting change that will stand to the benefit of our country for years to come.
“Nation-building is a joint task, and we all have a role. Since its inception, this certainty has been the motto and guiding light of the 9th House of Representatives. We have kept faith with the Nigerian people by enacting legislation to improve the way we live and work, to create opportunities for commerce and wealth creation, fix gaps in our electoral process and strengthen our democracy. Legislation such as the Petroleum Industry Act, the Companies and Allied Matters Act, the Electoral Act and the Police Reform Act, which for many years seemed impossible to achieve, have now become the law of the land. We have passed the most far-reaching amendments to our electoral system and delivered amendments to the constitution of our republic that have the potential to change our country for good and for the next generation. All things being equal, we intend to revisit the issue of women inclusion in our constitution soonest. We must do this because ours is a party of inclusion.
“This is the promise of the progressive movement, and we have kept the faith. As we have gathered here today from across the regions of our country, representing every religion, tribe and gender, I urge you, fellow progressives, to adopt this motto and act accordingly. Let us set aside personal interests and ambitions to work together to deliver a successful convention that we can all be proud of.
“Through multiple electoral contests, many battles won and lost; through growth and expansion, it sometimes feels like the bonds of our brotherhood have frayed, and we have moved farther apart from each other. I urge this convention to remember the ideals and principles of our founding fathers and let us, in that remembrance, rediscover the promise of our union.
“Let us in this National Convention, through words and deeds, reassert our dedication to these abiding principles so that we can draw from them the unity of purpose that we require to triumph in the months ahead.
“I believe that for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and for the Federal Republic of Nigeria, our best days are ahead of us. Our party, like our country, is going through a process of rebirth. We have the power and opportunity to build a political party that can stand the test of time and lead our country to a future of abiding peace and universal prosperity. We have answered that call and must now work together to make ourselves worthy, and by so doing, write our names, each and together, in the good book of history for all generations to come.”