The Chairman of the Strategy Committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) who is also governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, has disclosed that the ruling party has slated June 2021 to conduct its National Convention.
Though there is speculation from party stalwarts that the Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary committee, Mai Mala Buni term may be extended to give him more time to reconcile party members before the convention and that may likely delay the convention beyond June.
However, Governor Badaru while speaking with newsmen at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja today hinted that the Buni led committee is committed to ending their assignment before the end of June.
He said, “It is very feasible. I know the national Caretaker Committee is committed to delivering in June. And we will support them and do whatever it takes to make sure we deliver by June,”
Badaru revealed that the APC has so far registered 36 million Nigerians across the country in its ongoing revalidation exercise and is slated to end by 31st March 2021.
He said initially the party underestimated the number of people interested in joining their party and they run short of registration forms, saying it was a good thing the party has captured 36million people and is still counting.
He boasted that his party would woo more big wigs from other political parties into its fold, however, dismissed the claim that Nigeria is a one-party state.
Badaru explained, “There will always be opposition. It can never be a one-party state. There are people who will still leave the party (APC). How many parties do we have now? We have even lost count. There will be a ruling party and there will be opposition,”
Inaugurating the committee earlier, Governor Buni said the target of his committee is to establish constructive engagement between critical stakeholders at various levels of the party with the view of reviving their confidence in the party.
Buni further stated that other terms of reference of his committee were to conduct a needs assessment survey from both the general public and his party members, to create a mission and vision for the party with the aim of strategizing ahead of the next election.
Twelve APC governors, two former speakers of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and Dimeji Bankole, were amongst the 61-man Strategy Committee of the party inaugurated.
