Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) legacy members and founding State Chairmen have told the leadership of the party that their loyalty and commitment to the party had begun to wane without appointments and encouragement from the party.
The party stakeholders spoke under the aegis of G37, a group representing the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Speaking on behalf of the group, former Cross River State Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Comrade Cletus Obum, made this known in Abuja during a meeting with thr APC leadership.
He recalled that the history of the merger did not start with the Congress of Progressive Change (CPC) and the new Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Obum revealed that it was the former National Chairman of defunct Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD), late Alex Ameh, that received the faction of Bola Tinubu’s Alliance for Democracy (AD) when the merger talks between the two parties commenced.
Obum stated: “It began as far back as 2004. By September 2006, the merger process had produced the Action Congress (AC), taking the ‘A’ from Advanced and the ‘C’ from Congress.
“Later that year, on December 22 at the Blue Roof in Ikeja, the ‘N’ was added, giving birth to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), ahead of the 2007 general election.
“At that time, Atiku Abubakar, then Vice President, joined forces with the opposition. He went to court 14 times with the support of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was then the leader of the opposition.
“You know the hardship endured by the pioneers of the legacy parties that eventually formed the APC—ACN, CPC, the new PDP and others.”
Obum said their members have always been deployed to states where elections were held, including off-cycle governorship elections, adding that they believed that tradition should continue.
He noted: “We are neither asking for special recognition nor undue patronage. However, it is unfortunate that among the 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives, very few are legacy members of the party.
“A stream must never forget its source. When pioneers are neglected, loyalty is weakened and younger politicians begin to believe that politics is merely transactional.”
Responding, APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Ben Nwoye, said they had not been forgotten, saying they should remain steadfast.
He also pleaded with them not to become discouraged to the point of stepping aside.
Nwoye stated: “You have not been forgotten. My story is your story. If anyone thinks the chapter is over, that is not true. We are only just beginning to write it. You all know how I got here, and so the story is far from over.
“Yes, we may not all have received everything we believe we deserve. My brothers here know my story. Some of them were part of that journey. But the resilience you have shown from AD to AC, ACN and finally APC must continue.
“My plea is that you should remain steadfast. Asiwaju is not someone who forgets. By the grace of God, he has a good memory.”
