All Progressives Congress (APC) groups from across the country stormed the national secretariat of the party, yesterday, with pleas for board appointments in ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
They included a forum of former National Assembly members; the South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA); a coalition of APC support groups; and a forum of states’ Assembly candidates.
The lobby came against the backdrop of a decision by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. George Akume, to dissolve the boards of MDAs.
Though the groups claimed they were at the secretariat to congratulate the new national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, they did not mince words about pushing for placements in the Bola Tinubu administration.
Ibrahim Zailani, interim chairman of former House of Representatives members, sought the support of Ganduje to achieve the objective.
He said: “We may not be in the House of Representatives now, but we want to tell you that all of us have the energy, the vision, and the interest of the party at heart. So, we are offering ourselves for any party assignment.
“With this, we know, from one of us, you may have a special place for either the legislators or former members of our forum, because we saw what you did with one of our members who was your immediate past commissioner for finance.”
Babajide Akin-Thomas, who spoke on behalf of the support groups, urged Ganduje to relay their words to President Tinubu regarding board appointments for members.
A member of the group of state legislators, led by Aliyu Aliyu, called on Ganduje to come to their rescue because they had become cash-strapped, following expenses incurred during 2023 electioneering.
Meanwhile, Ganduje, at the meeting, noted that Nigeria is too big to be administered by a neophyte.
He affirmed to members SWAGA that Tinubu has the wherewithal to govern the country.
Ganduje, who did not drop the name of any presidency-seeking neophyte, buttressed his assertion by trumpeting Tinubu’s antecedents as Lagos State governor.
He applauded SWAGA members for the role they played in drumming up support for Tinubu, saying he also did not regret his support for the presidential candidate.
“Just like SWAGA, some of us started it in the heart. I believed that our principal is the right man we have been yearning for to mount the leadership of the country. He succeeded in doing that before now.
“You have to assess people from where they are coming from, you have to look at their CVs, their disposition towards leadership, rather than just support people from the blues.
“Nigeria is too big for that. Asiwaju is a man of institutions, and a man known for developing institutions. That is why we have sustainability in Lagos State. Lagos is sustainable, not because he was governor for 20 years, but because he laid the foundation for sustainability.”
He added: “Lagos, today, is one of the greatest states in Nigeria and in Africa. We supported him because we want a mirror image of that kind of sustainability for Nigeria. Asiwaju is equal to the task.
“He will reform the system, the economy, the institutions, and address all social economic issues, to take Nigeria to the next level. We believe he would make a big mark of change in Nigeria.”
