Former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole said yesterday that only those who share the ideology and values of the All Progressives Congress (APC) should be its members.
As far as the former labour leader, who is an aspirant for APC national chairman is concerned, the APC should be able to tell such people whose belief run counter to its ideals to look elsewhere for membership.
He said the party in power should be able to intervene in the Executive-Legislature feud being witnessed at the federal level.
He spoke during a visit to former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu at his Abuja office.
Oshiomhole said if he is elected as APC chairman, he would ensure that party organs function properly.
“When party organs are not functioning, we are just a collection of people,” he said.
He said the responsibility of a political party goes beyond providing a platform for elections, but should monitor the conduct of its members and how elected representatives of the people are keeping faith with the party’s manifesto.
He said: “We are in a critical position in our country and over the next couple of months, the political environment will be heated up when all the aspirants and candidates would have emerged and our party is expected to, as the governing party, lead by example.
“I believe that after the historic amalgamation of the four and half parties that now form the APC, it is enough for us to have welded into a party and provide the kind of leadership that Nigerians expected from a political party that is based on the principle of social democracy, which was why we carefully choose the name progressives.
“It is not a secret that we have our own fair share of internal challenges. I believe that there is nothing wrong in parties having internal challenges, but what matters is a leadership that has the capacity to manage those challenges and encourage internal democracy and evolve a style of leadership that is based on inclusion rather than exclusion.”
The aspirant said: “We must strengthen the process of bottom approach to decision-making so that when we talk about a party position, it will be one in which party leaders and members will say, yes, we participated in the process that led to this decision. The organs of the party must be made to function. When organs of the party are not functioning, then we are just a collection of individuals.
“It is my hope that we move beyond creating a platform that is simply there for election purpose, just like a public taxi. It should also be a platform to continue to engage all those who are elected on the platform of the party and ensure that what they do and how they do it is in line with the manifesto and the core value that bind the party together.
“A political party ought to be governed by a set of value and unless you subscribe to those values, you are not supposed to be a member. I think it is the duty of a political party leadership to monitor the activities of government and the various organ and where there are disagreements, you intervene in a way that will provide solution.”
Kalu said democracy in the country was presently at a crossroad and assured Oshiomhole of his support in his quest for the APC chairmanship.
He said: “There is no point saying that democracy itself is at a crossroad where in most places, people are no longer functioning with the democratic norms. I want to cherish your commonsense that you want to run for APC chairmanship and pray that you win.
“We are on a journey together, where President Buhari will offer himself to the Nigerian people. The journey is a long journey, but it is a reachable journey. Many people have said I left PDP and joined the APC. I left the PDP in 2006 when I was deregistered and I left and since then, I have been a member of PPA.
“If you win, those who left the office should be treated like good people so that there’s no rancour. I will like you to stay like a statesman and we should not discuss our problems outside.”
