Laleye Dipo
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated that only credible candidates will be allowed to fly its flags in all the elections slated for 2023.
As a result of this stance, the party said it would embark on a ‘shopping spree’ for such credible candidates who must have track records of achievements in all spheres of life.
The state Secretary of the party, Mr. Ibrahim Aliyu Khaleel, said in a statement made available to journalists in Minna at the weekend that those wishing to contest elections on the platform of the party must also be “buyable candidates rather than sellable ones,” insisting that “serving elected office holders with convincing projects, activities and engagements, and new aspirants with public convincing antecedents of strong leadership traits, community service and trustworthy will be fielded.”
Khaleel, who said the decision is the outcome of the first executive meeting of the party since it was elected about two months ago, also told its members that the party is now poised to wield the big stick against any of its members that violates party’s constitution.
According to him, “The party executive reserves the right to punish any officer or party executive who flouts or bring into disrepute the guiding principles of the party in accordance with Article 21 of the APC constitution.”
To put both the state government and all its elected officials on their toes, Khaleel said the party leadership would soon begin the inspection of all projects being executed to ensure they justify the money invested and meet the aspirations “of our teeming members,” adding that elected office holders shall also “henceforth hold quarterly town hall meetings with the electorate to update them on the activities, projects and engagements of their offices.”
He said the party would no longer tolerate the old idea of forming forums and factions, directing that henceforth all meetings should be held in the party secretariats at the various levels of government.
Khaleel said the party has therefore directed that: “Meetings of any form between the elected/appointed office holders and party executives must be approved by the party at the state level through their respective zones.”
