Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, former National Chairman, All Progressives Congress(APC), has charged the party’s leaders to be more progressive and responsive to the people.
He said this at the public presentation of a book, “APC’S Litmus Test, Nigerian Democracy and Politics of Change”, written by Dr. Salihu Lukman, Director-General, Progressives Congress Forum (PGF) in Abuja on Sunday.
“We are in charge today, a progressive government, a progressive regime, and I think it is proper that we show to the nation that when the people want some degree of change.
“We should be responsive to it, we should address it, compromises have to be made, there’s no question about that,” Odigie-Oyegun said.
He added that the APC document on true federalism was still being worked upon before it release.
Odigie-Oyegun said the ideas of people from different parts of the country would be different up to the extent that they would want to go with the proposals in the document.
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He said it was however, necessary, vital and mandatory in the interest of the survival of the country that issues regarding federalism were addressed.
“We cannot continue to allow the subject to become something that threatens our nation at any turn.
“So, the earlier we address it, the earlier we show that as a party we are responsive to the feelings of the people, the desires of the people and the wants of the people.
“It becomes easier then, to diffuse the kind of stresses that the nation is passing through today,” Odigie-Oyegun said.
He added that for those at the formation of the APC, the uniqueness of its Constitution and its manifesto promised change which was meant by all members with their hearts and beings.
He said, unfortunately, the forces of economics had made things not quite the way it was planned.
The APC former national chairman said there was need for the party members to do everything possible to keep it not just alive but very virile.
He added that in spite of general believe, the APC was one party that had put together things that meant hope for the country.
He said the fact that things were bad and people were angry and in hungry was not questionable, saying that these were worldwide phenomenon.
Odigie-Oyegun decried the current security challenge in the country.
“It is my hope that we will begin to get control of the security of this nation,” he said.
Lukman, author of the book expressed gratitude to God and APC leaders for the successful public presentation of the book.
He said the objective of the book was to contribute perspectives to APC leaders and members on challenges facing the party, government and the nation.
“As much as possible, effort is made to objectively analyse challenges and recommend responses.
“It is gratifying to note that our leaders in APC, especially President Muhammadu Buhari have acknowledged these challenges and have been working to address them.
“Unlike politicians in other parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who live in permanent denial of challenges faced by their parties and therefore do everything possible to reduce Nigerian democracy to electoral contest,”he said.
Lukman added that APC leaders recognised that the foundation of every democracy was determined more by the scope of representation and responsiveness of political parties.
He said that once parties were not representative and responsive to the interest of members, elected leaders on the platform of such a party could not be representative or responsive to the interest of citizens.
According to Lukman, APC leaders have been working to address the fundamental issues of our democracy.
The PGF DG said the book was part of his contribution towards supporting the initiatives of the party’s leaders.
He added that all APC leaders and members were therefore invited to engage challenges facing the party, government and the nation with confidence and belief in the capacity of Nigerians to support every patriotic and nationalistic initiative.(NAN)