The governing All Progressives Congress (APC) will soon convene a stakeholders conference ahead commencement of campaigns for the next general elections.
National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, dropped the hint on Tuesday at a meeting with a group, The APC Professionals Forum.
Former Bauchi State Governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, led his team on a visit to the party’s national working committee.
The APC national chairman said the Conference was necessary to afford party leaders to have a frank discussion on the party manifesto, the state of the nation and development within the party.
He said: “We are planning to organise a national conference where all the major stakeholders will have a forum to discuss. We want to do a stakeholders conference where we can brainstorm: look at what is happening to the country, what is happening to the party and also look at the manifestoes we are presenting to the people to get elected.
“We want to get on that track; we want to do so between now and October when the campaign will kick off. Once we have that, your group will also be invited to come and maximise the benefit.”
The APC national chairman further thanked the former Aviation Minister for the initiative of his group to sell the party manifesto to the electorate, particularly at the grassroots.
Senator Adamu who noted that there is a big disconnect between ordinary Nigerians and President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration expressed concern that the positive programmes of the present administration were not being showcased to Nigerians.
“One thing we want you to pay attention to is to see how you can be of help to the activity of the party at the grassroots. It is very critical. It is driven by those who are uneducated thus the leadership at that level is very vulnerable.
“We need to imbibe the culture of an enlightened membership driven by knowledge. We don’t have to all be graduates or diploma holders but an enlightened mind is an open mind.
“This is important in the effort to get the people to appreciate what we are as a party, how we can be appreciated as a party. We have the misfortune of the efforts of this government not getting to the grassroots in terms of positive publicity of what this government is doing.
“All that those who care to talk want to say is the negative aspect of this government. We know that all over the world, the opposition is seen as the underdog and so there is apparent sympathy for them. I have no quarrel with this.
“Go and sympathise with them but call a spade a spade. Don’t give a dog a bad name in order to hang it. “This is what we are experiencing. All the good things that have happened in this administration have not received the kind of publicity it deserves. See the social programs that this government is having for teachers, for farmers, for market women. The school feeding program.
“These are critical programs that have not been undertaken by the PDP for the 16 years they were in government. We are doing it but nobody praises the government for it. All that we get is criticism. If we get ourselves involved in positive reporting of what is happening, the electorate will know the difference. They will what is the truth.”
In his speech, Mallam Yuguda said the focus of his group would be mobilisation for the ruling party.
“One of our missions is to lend support to the party when it comes to sensitisation because most of these associations they know little about the capacity of the party and we have visited quite a number of professional bodies highlighting to them the importance of party politics, highlighting to them also the importance of associating with us so that we can contribute our quotas as professionals to party activities.
“What we need in this country is good governance, and if professionals are kept aside without being accommodated to hear their views, I believe what we will continue to have is what is called motion without movement.
“It is important that we as professional arm of APC be encouraged to play the role that we are supposed to play especially before the government is formed, there’s a need for input from all professionals because whatever affects the economy, the economy depends on institutions and these institutions habour all sort of professionals.
“I believe they know the problem that are connected to their own sectors and if we are able to provide certain information, it will be a data very useful for decision making at the highest level.
“When it also comes to party campaigns, this forum will play a very major role because they have membership and the membership is respected, and if we get to know about the program and manifestos, the only people that can deliver it very well and professionally are the professionals.”