Work With Tinubu To Deliver Promises, Adamu Charges Governors

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Adamu, has challenged governors elected on the platform of the party to leverage the listening posture of President Bola Tinubu to deliver the promises made during the campaigns.

Adamu handed down the advice on Wednesday when he alongside the National Working Committee of the party met with the governors at the party’s secretariat in Abuja.

He noted that the meeting would have been held long ago but was delayed for certain reasons.

The former Nasarawa State governor pointed out that some of the governors emerged at a time the country is facing serious challenges especially the issue of fuel subsidy.

He however, challenged them to work closely with the president who is a listening person to ensure that they govern well especially as “you are closer to the people” and know “where it pinches.”

“It has been our intention to have the opportunity of receiving our governors immediately after the gubernatorial and state Houses of Assembly elections. But immediately after those elections, our President-elect as he then travelled abroad and he was away for about five weeks.

“To have an important meeting as that of the governors and the party we thought it advisable that he was on the ground before holding the meeting. By the time he came back, the space was agog with the issue of sharing of power in the National Assembly and it took the winds off our sails.

“So we got engaged trying to see how best we can reach some understanding and before we got over that we had inaugural activities and we are better placed now to settle down, to invite our governors.

“For us, anything that we will want to say to you is adherence to the manifesto as much as you can.

“We have a general framework for the governance of the country and you represent those who fly the flag of the party and it is expected that whatever you do, you will have in mind the manifesto that the party gives the country,” he explained.

He stressed that, “You as the Chief Executive Officers of the states must key into this manifesto but there are peculiarities, there are priorities you must have set and you are bound to do as much as you can to meet the expectations of those who voted for us.

“We are in a very difficult moment and you have come at a very difficult period. Even with the timing of the lifting of the fuel subsidy, this is going to be very specially challenging to us, particularly to you because you are where it matters most.

“From national politics, you are the shock absorbers in the various states of the federation. You live with the people. You wake up with the people and you work with them.

“The expectation is that you could have a better appreciation of their pains as citizens of this country. So, a lot of expectations will be on you as governors of the federating units of this great country.

“As far as the party is concerned, we will give you every cooperation you need. If you have any problem, turn to us and we will give you the best advice we can. But whatever we do with you, you are the one wearing the shoes and know where it pinches,” he said.

He added that, “Two years are for actual governance. Before you know, you will finish with the tribunals, it will be getting to two years and you will start seeing posters and billboards flying, newspaper publications. This is a tradition in our democracy, fortunately or unfortunately. We must be ready for that. So, you have no time to waste.

“Fortunately, you are lucky to have a president who will listen to you. He has come with the same urge, the same desire to deliver.

” So, you are lucky. But whatever you do, do not forget that you will bear your cross. You will bear your cross. We will not as a party stand in your way for a good programme. If someone does so, please draw our attention so that we will stop it,” Adamu added.

Responding, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma expressed delight over the success of the party in the last election.

He assured Adamu that “the APC governors understand very clearly that the government each of us are presiding over belongs to the party and we know both at the federal and sub-national level, the government belongs to APC, it is APC-led government.

“Under my watch, we will be very close to the party. The purpose of the forum is to have impetus to the activities of the party and the government.

“We are only going to act as salesmen that will market the policies and programmes of the government.

“Arising from the manifesto promised to the people before the election, I can assure that you had a team and working together with the kinfig men I have seen as Progressives Governors members, I think we have gotten all it would take to ensure that policies of our government were fully market

“APC is the only party we’ve got in Nigeria. The governor’s of APC seem to be the most active governors in Nigeria. So, my assurance is that we are just constructive partners to work with the party and our loyalty to the party is absolute.

“And indeed, the party will become the envy of other parties in Africa,” he stated.

The governor added that, “Whatever that we did not get before, I’m sure under my leadership, the party will get it. It is going to be a synergy, we can’t do much without you and conversely I don’t think you can do much without us.so we are married in this business and there is no going back.

“Arising from the manifesto promised to the people before the election, I can assure that you had a team and working together with the kind of men I have seen as Progressives Governors members, I think we have gotten all it would take to ensure that policies of our government were fully market.”

Other governors who attended the meeting were Mai Mala Buni – Yobe; Yahaya Bello – Kogi; Abduallahi Sule – Nasarawa; Mohammed Bago – Niger and Uba Sani – Others were Inuwa Yahaya – Gombe; Nasir Idris – Kebbi and Dapo Abiodum – Ogun State.