By Adedayo Akinwale
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has revealed that the party has over 40 million members following the completion of the party’s registration and revalidation exercise.
The National Secretary of the Caretaker Committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, stated this yesterday when the party leadership received non-career ambassadors at the party’s secretariat in Abuja.
He said: “We are blessed to have a focused and gentle chairman. When he came on board, we lost ground. Under his leadership, we have regained what we lost and gained more. We had a membership strength of 12 million. I want to inform you, your excellencies, under his leadership the APC has moved to about 40 plus million today.
“Since the creation of this party, we have never enjoyed the peace and tranquillity that we are enjoying. He has brought in some kind of calmness. We are blessed to have him. He is accessible. He read your speech before you came and he granted everything you requested. That is the kind of Chairman we have.”
Also, the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee and the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, said the ambassadors by their new calling now have a new role in building relationships and projecting the image of Nigeria in a very positive light.
Buni said: “You are coming at a time when the country is faced with some challenges, especially the security challenge. I have confidence in your individual and your collective capabilities to continue to find solutions to the challenges facing the country and to strengthen the relationships between Nigeria and your host countries.”
The Yobe State chairman stressed that as the ruling party, APC was deeply concerned and interested in healthy relationships between Nigeria and the international community, adding that a healthy relationship would contribute to the APC administration actualising the party manifesto to improve the lives of Nigerians.
Buni added that the party would also look forward to a very positive working synergy with the ambassadors in the interest of Nigeria and her citizens.
He stated: “On this note, I am happy to inform you that the party has agreed to set up a desk office for the purpose of liaising with the non-career ambassadors. In this regard, we requested you furnish the National Secretariat with the details of your coordinating secretariat.”
Buni said the caretaker committee has also approved the request of the ambassadors to attend the National Convention.
Speaking on behalf of the ambassadors, Ambassador Nwannebuike Ominyi, told Buni that having been confirmed by the Senate, they have been issued with their respective letters of credence to herald departure to different countries of their primary assignment.
