Don’t impose candidates who can’t win elections on APC, Buhari urges party leaders

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ensure that only candidates who can win elections get the party’s ticket.

Speaking at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, Buhari warned against imposition of aspirants who can’t win.

According to him, having cost the party some strategic seats in times past, the party should learn from the error of losing “strong members” forced out due to imposition.

“I enjoin you all to follow due process in all the party processes and more importantly to develop more mechanisms against corruption. I call on all party members to abide by all extant laws, rules, and regulations and to leaders of our party to avoid imposition of candidates that cannot win popular elections.

“This dictatorial behavior cost us many strategic seats in the past. In the recent past, this led to some of our strong members unfortunately opting to go elsewhere because of unfairly oppressive behavior of party leaders at state level.

“I must caution strongly against any tendency towards developing cliques, in–fighting within the party. We want to win well, not succumb to factions on account of personal acerbities and desire to retain control at all costs. That surely is not the road to win,’’ he said. 

The president also congratulated the Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) for their win at the national convention, urging candidates who lost out to offer their support for the growth of the party.

He further praised the Mai Mala Buni led Caretaker/Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) for offering to serve the party at a critical time.

“There’s no time to develop differences among ourselves. We have no time for that,’’ he told the NWC.

“You came in at a critical time and the entire party has a high expectation from you. The critical task ahead of you remains to continue to forge the unity of purpose among party members and to keep securing needful compromises in the interest of our great party.

“I must also sincerely thank all the aspirants for their desire to serve but had to withdraw their aspirations for the over-all interest of our Party. I consider it an honour to my person and an unwavering sacrifice for the unity of our great party as we approach the coming elections.

“I plead with all aspirants who were not elected to put in efforts in support of the leaderships of the party to achieve our goal of success in the forthcoming elections. Furthermore I am pleading with all litigants to withdraw cases against the party and put faith in party mechanisms.’’