President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress to keep the ruling party together to retain power.
Mr President has warned the party against imposition of unpopular aspirants as standard-bearers for next year elections.
Speaking during the party’s 11th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, he charged the leadership to premise its actions and decisions on the party’s constitution.
He recalled that the APC had lost important elections in the past due to imposition.
He appealed to aggrieved members protesting past injustices to withdraw their court cases.
“The principal challenge before you is the need to forge a united front for the party. It is your responsibility to keep creating and sustaining compromises among party leaders and members across the country.
“We must identify elements and factors that would facilitate it. This I urge the new NWC to place as a priority task.
“Whenever you need help in these critical times, please do not hesitate to seek out assistance from the appropriate quarters. I stand ready at the service of the party and the country.
“I enjoin you all to follow due process in all the party processes and more importantly to develop more mechanisms against corruption.
“I call on all party members to abide by all extant laws, rules, and regulations and to leaders of our party to avoid the imposition of candidates that cannot win popular elections.”
“This dictatorial behaviour cost us many strategic seats in the past. In the recent past, this led to some of our strong members, unfortunately, opting to go elsewhere because of the unfairly oppressive behaviour of party leaders at the state level.
“I enjoin you all to recognise the place of due process in all our tasks as managers of the party. We must develop party in-built mechanisms against corruption. Our success in 2023 will depend more on our capacity to respect our own extant rules and regulations.
“I plead with all aspirants who were not elected to put in efforts in support of the party to achieve our goal of success in the forthcoming elections.
“Furthermore, I am pleading with all litigants to withdraw cases against the Party and put faith in party mechanisms.
At the meeting were members of the NWC, governors, Senate President, House of Representatives Speaker and state chairmen.
The party’s presidential shadow poll has been fixed for between May 31 and June 1.
At the NWC meeting, the nomination fees for aspirants were ratified.
A party source defended the nomination fees considered to be high and which was criticised severely in the social media.
Presidential aspirants are to pay N100 million for the expression of interest and nomination forms; N30 million is for expression of interest and N70 million for nomination form.
Anyone seeking governorship ticket will pay N50 million; N30 million for Senate and N20 million for House of Representatives.
Those aspiring for House of Assembly seats will buy the forms for N2 million.
