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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider party members for ministerial and other positions to strengthen the relationship of the party in the states and at National level.
In his opening remarks during a meeting with party’s state chairman at the national headquarters of the party, Adamu said that he is hoping that party members enjoy some level of patronage in the Tinubu-led new government.
The former governor of Nasarawa State however warned that since every party member cannot be appointed Minister, they should zero their minds for other positions like board chairmen and members.
He also urged them to be patient because it will take at least two more months to establish vacancies after the inauguration of Ministers.
According to him; “We thought it necessary to sit with chiefs executives of states and the leadership of our states for our party in various stares. We had a very fruitful and one of the longest meeting with the governors. And what we find most encouraging is their attitudes.
“Every APC member has an inherent right to hope to get some patronage. And we can all get one here. We cannot all be ministers of the government. We cannot all end up as board members, directors of parastatals and MDAs across the country. But we do expect some patronage from the government that we are forming.
“The President has just started. And he is doing his extensive consultation before coming up with his nominees for Ministers. The nomination of the Ministers will come first. They will go through their screening until they are pronounced after they have been submitted before Mr. President. And Mr President will formally appoint his Ministers and swear them in.
“After that is done, the Ministers assume office and make a comprehensive report starting from all the ministry. And MDAs under them. Before we are going to know what vacancies exist of Chief executives, directors and part time directors. This are some of the exercise that will take place with the next two months. It cannot happen by next week but certainly that is what we should be expecting.
“It is our hope and prayers that Mr. President will come along with us in that regard and strengthen the relationship of the party in the states and at the National level will enjoy some level of patronage in the new government. Those are the key issues that we do hope to share with you in the course of this meeting,” he went spiritual.
Adamu also took time to express confidence that the state chairman of Ekiti will be freed from the custody of his abductors.
“We announce with the deepest sense of sorrow, a member of the state chairmen, the chairman of Ekiti state. We got to know today that he was kidnapped. And as at the time of coming to this meeting, he was still in the hands of the kidnappers,” he said
Reacting to the list of appointees, Cross River chairman, Alphonsus Oga, said: “that is complete rumour because whatever you might have heard about board membership, those letters were addressed to State chairmen, and every state chairman is loyal to his State governor and where there is no governor, they are loyal to the stakeholders.
“There is no such crisis, in fact we must commend Mr President for playing to his promise of saying that State chairmen should be captains of these ships and I can assure you that letters were addressed to us,” he said.
