Foundation member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and member of the party’s National Caucus, Chief Sam Nkire has tasked President Bola Tinubu not to forget foundation members in his appointments.
Nkire gave the reminder in anticipation of the President’s impending announcement of further appointments to offices in his new government and cabinet.
The APC chieftain recalled the unfortunate event in which former President Muhammadu Buhari ignored qualified founding fathers of APC in preference to those he described as “Johnny Just-comes” in his belated appointments.
Nkire who was the pioneer leader of APC Caucus in Abia State said Buhari’s indifference to rewarding foundation members and those who helped him to power got to a point where his wife, Aisha Buhari, had to go public to denounce him.
He said hard work, loyalty to the President, party and country must be rewarded over and above religion and tribal sentiments in selecting competent people to run the affairs of Nigeria, this time around.
Nkire further recalled how President Buhari kept procrastinating and delaying the announcement of the 50-man list sent to him from the 36 states and Abuja, by party leaders like himself, until many on that list waited and died.
The APC stalwart said he had nothing against President Tinubu forming a government of national unity, provided it included some of the founding members of APC, such as Musa Kwankwaso and others who left the party due to Buhari’s style of leadership.
Nkire appealed to all Nigerians who hope for a new Nigeria to bank on Tinubu and give him the needed support to revamp the battered and insecure nation and lead it to the path of progress and prosperity once again.