By Tunde Olamilekan
The National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has said the party is ready to prioritize the well-being of Nigerians if given the chance.
The former governor of Osun State stated this on Saturday in Lagos after receiving defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP) into the party.
The decampees included former Chairmen of Lagos PDP, Chief Muritala Ashorobi, Captain Tunji Shelley, PDP Vice Chairman (Lagos Central), Tai Benedict, Chief Niyi Adams, former Lagos PDP Youth Leader, among others.
According to Aregbesola, there is a need for everyone to rise above partisanship and chart a new course, noting that the country is passing through a season of hardship and uncertainty under the current leadership.
The former Minister added that the people are the centre of politics and governance, warning that any government that fails to make their welfare and wellbeing the basis will lose relevance.
He said, “The people are the centre of politics and the government. Any government, whether,democratic, military, authoritarian, monarchical, or by whatever definition, that does not make their welfare and wellbeing the basis of governance, will soon lose relevance and die.
“There is a limit to which the people can be squeezed and pushed before something eventually gives.”
Aregbesola Aregbesola advised party members to avoid nonproductive engagement and focus on building the party from bottom up.
“The task before us is clear: we must rescue this beautiful country from the path of destruction and build a new Nigeria—a nation our children will be proud to inherit.
“I appeal to us all to diligently face our task of building the party from bottom up and sell our ideas to the people. We should avoid the distraction of nonproductive engagement of debates and strife with the agents of the dying dinosaurs”, he added.
In his remarks, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said the ADC remained a movement whose chances remained very bright.
Represented by Prof. Ola Olateju, a professor of Political Science at the Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State, Atiku said, “ADC, to us, is not a political party. It is a movement, a movement of the Nigerians for a better Nigeria”.
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