It’s time to move on, Atiku reminds Tinubu, other APC leaders

A former Vice President and chieftain of APC, Atiku Abubakar, has urged leaders of the All Progressives Congress to shift from “extreme positions to a centrist one for the interest of democracy and the party, the new administration and the country at large”.

The former Vice President made the call Thursday against the backdrop of the APC NEC meeting in Abuja on Friday, 3 July.

A statement released by his media office in Abuja on Thursday, 2 July sent to this blog quoted the former Vice President as calling for the concentration of positive energies on building unity, cohesion and harmony among party leaders and other stakeholders.

“We can resolve our differences when our leaders individually and collectively shift ground from extreme positions and move to the centre in the interest of our party and our country.”

Atiku, who was outside the country to perform Lesser Hajj (Umrah) in Saudi Arabia, said that he was deeply concerned that, soon after capturing power, the APC is torn apart at a time more energy is needed to attend to the objectives of the change agenda for which it was voted into power.

The APC has been rocked by crisis over the election of National Assembly leaders.

Atiku supports the emergence of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, against the wish of the party’s leaders, including the chairman, John Oyegun, and a former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu.

The former Vice President said it was high time the party overcame its current crisis of confidence arising from the National Assembly election of principal officers.

He said the current blame games targeted at individuals was an unnecessary diversion of energies at the expense of the urgency of the mission of the party to make life better for Nigerians.

According to the former Vice President, the vilification of individual party leaders and members in the face of challenges facing the country was painful to him, adding that the party should learn the lessons and move ahead.

While restating his commitment to the party and its change agenda, the former Vice President advised the party leaders not to allow people of bad faith to fuel division and acrimony among the party, adding that all positive energies should be directed towards sustaining the morale of the voters who look forward to the APC to make their lives better.

He reminded party leaders that any division could be exploited at the expense of the party. He extended his goodwill to the party for successful deliberations and assured the party of continued support and loyalty at all times.