Ministerial appointment: Reward party loyalty, Group tells Tinubu

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

A pressure group within the All Progressives Congress ( APC), APC Youth Development and Solidarity Forum (APC-YDSF) has urged President Bola Tinubu to use the appointment of ministers to reward party loyalty.

The group, which made the call, at a briefing, on Thursday, in Abuja, urged President Tinubu to ensure that party members, who committed their resources and energy to ensure victory for the APC in the 2023 polls are accorded priority in the appointment of ministers.

The President of the group, Chief Tobias Ogbeh, charged the President to consider Benue born philanthropist, Michael Achadu, as the ministerial nominee for the state. Ogbeh noted some of those who are currently jostling for appointments contributed little or nothing to APC victory in Benue State.

According to him, “We are aware of those who are currently lobbying for appointments, both in Benue and around the Presidency in Abuja. But we must tell ourselves the truth, some of them could not even deliver their polling units or wards during the last elections. What is their contribution to the success of the party in the last general elections?

“We remember some of them, when, during the buildup to the Presidential primaries in 2022, we were almost stranded and needed a boost financially to continue our activities in support of Asiwaju; we approached many them in Benue, Kogi, Niger, even in the south, but they failed us.

“It was just a few of them who genuinely believed in Asiwaju to become President and one of such people is Chief Michael Achadu The man practically took over almost all the expenses of our organisation and many other interest groups I can remember. All through the primaries down to the general elections, he was always there to support the course of Asiwaju.

“It was also Chief Achadu who singlehandedly released funds that prosecuted the elections of APC and that of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in his country home of Okpokwu Local Government of Benue State and caused victory for our party, for the first time, in the traditional home of PDP since 1999.”