Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande reiterates the commitment of the progressives to power shift as the baseline for repositioning the country.
‘The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but has no vision’ – Helen Keller
Once again, Nigeria is at the cusp of change. We stand at the threshold of history, willing and determined to keep the promise of building a new nation. I am thus happy to be with you today at this momentous occasion of your national convention. A similar momentous event is taking place in Gusau, Zamfara State about now. That the CPC and ANPP are holding their national conventions the same day, though in different ,to, among other things, endorse the ongoing merger process barely three weeks after the Action Congress of Nigeria had done its own in Lagos, underscores the unquestionable commitments of the progressive Nigerian leaders to re-direct and reposition politics and governance of this country.
Distinguished party leaders, ladies and gentlemen, we have embarked on this historic journey; the first of its kind in Nigeria’s political history, because we want to be recorded positively on the side of history. We are however, not unaware of the huge challenges we would face in this endeavor, and the series of minefields we are to cross in our common resolve to rescue this country from total collapse. It is against this backdrop, that we are gathered here as we did in Lagos to fulfill one of the requirements under the law to actualise our coming together under a single political platform-the All Progressives Congress (APC).
For over a decade, since the Peoples Democratic Party came to power, our economic has stagnated to the point of near collapse. Their institutionalised misrule has engendered a general sense of hopelessness and despondency among the citizenry.
This coalition of progressively minded leaders represents a major shift in Nigeria’s political landscape. As leaders and indeed, political parties, we are convinced beyond any shadow of doubt that Nigerians deserve a better country. Nigerians deserve better leadership going forward. We have heard the Macedonia call of our people and we have set sail on an irreversible course to contest and change governance at the center. For too long Nigerians have endured this punishment for too long whereby power is used for selfish and narrow interests.
We wave or hold no magic wand. But we signpost the fact that a new hope and leadership is needed. What we offer is our commitment to democratic norms and values. We believe that through a conscious progressive orientation we can change Nigeria for the better. For PDP’s years of the locust, we offer in exchange a new regime of prosperity, fiscal discipline, security and a more emancipated society.
Through sacrifice and renewed patriotic zeal, we hope to unseat the current incompetent and corrupt leadership. We urge Nigerians to side with us by voting right when elections come. Nigerians must reject the kind of results foisted upon us from 1999 to 2011.
The continued polarisation and division of Nigeria between the North and the South and between the Christians and the Muslims which has intensified bloodletting, sectarian violence and destruction of property flowed from a flawed and manipulated election. This time around, Nigerians must rally in support for ‘one man, one vote’ and ensure every vote counts. Biometric voting is a clear option for free and fair election and Nigeria must move in that inevitable direction.
With renewed commitment, we must make sure that our electoral system is anything but open, credible and transparent.
I am convinced that this bold and historical step by ACN, ANPP and CPC to merge into one formidable electoral machine against PDP would serve as a major antidote against the seeming total disintegration of Nigeria.
Nigeria is insecure today due to decades of leadership failure. We have suffered over a decade of systemic decay, institutionalized manipulation amnesia, increasing grinding poverty and unprecedented level of corruption, which have culminated into high-level insecurity.
The merger process therefore, affords us the singular strength of ensuring fraud free and credible voters register by biometric evaluation and thereby democratically dislodge the PDP from power with a view to bringing to an end frequent incidences of shedding blood and destruction of property which have become the defining nature of the Jonathan’s administration.
Our streets continue to flow with the blood of fellow citizens who are innocent of any crime. Perhaps, aside the civil war period, the unity of this country has never been as threatened as it is presently. All of our national fault lines are growing deeper and the continuous existence of the country as indivisible entity is increasingly in doubt.
The events we are witnessing today, just as we did in Lagos on April 18, beyond their partisan import, therefore, are but a demonstration of the courageous efforts of the people towards saving Nigeria from descending further into hopelessness, poverty and insecurity.
The need to rescue Nigeria from the hands of detractors, rent seekers and seeming irredentists is now more compelling.
On this note, I salute you all on this auspicious occasion and with a deep sense of duty announce that the greatest number of the Nigerian people have now invested their hopes in a future with APC.
I thank you for listening.
Chief Akande delivered this speech at the national convention of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) held in Abuja at the weekend.
