President Muhammadu Buhari has cautioned All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders to refrain from name-calling and backstabbing.
The ruling party in Nigeria has become factionalized ahead of the March 26 Convention, with Yobe State Governor Mai Buni insisting on remaining the National Chairman.
Sani Bello, his Niger counterpart, now leads the APC, a development that has divided governors, lawmakers, other chieftains, and members.
Buhari has urged the APC’s feuding sections to remain firm and united if the party is to continue on its path to triumph and dominance across the country.
The leader told members “to look at the once-powerful Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) now enfeebled and adrift and learn lessons in disunity, mismanagement and corruption”.
”They failed in 16 years in power and a failure as opposition”, presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu quoted his principal in a statement.
”Yes, we are entitled to our own share of dissent and intra-party discord. These are common in all parties, left and right all over the world.
”But parties splintered by competing egos destine themselves to the worst possible fate,” the President warned.
”As the country prepares for the long run up to the 2023 presidential election, we all expect a robust debate on the issues that matter and what is going in the APC should be a reflection of this, not the infighting we are seeing.”
Buhari cautioned against more distractions ahead of the convention to choose new leaders.
He added that the APC didn’t start on the note of arrogance of power, but was used a vehicle to bring development to all without discrimination.