ABUJA – Former Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State yesterday, visited the National Assembling, to solicit the support of All Progressive Congresss members among the federal legislators for his national chairmanship bid of the party.
He admitted that organs of the ruling party have not been functioning as expected and promised to change the trend if elected as the next national chairman.
Oshiomhole, who spoke when he visited the leadership of the Senate at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, in company of the Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate) to the President, Senator Ita Enang and former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade AbdulWaheed Omar, among others, said he would make APC a true progressive party if elected into office.

“I think to call our party All Progressives Congress with emphasis on progressing, we seek to make a difference that our party is pro people, people centerd, it should be people driven it is owned by its members and it is driven by its members and the basis of our contract is the constitution of the party which we voluntarily formulate and adopted at the previous convention.
“Without those organs functioning we are just a collection of individuals”, he stressed.
He also vowed that APC under his leadership “will not be a spectator or siddon party”, but the people’s party that every member will be proud of.

The former governor, a national chairmanship aspirant of the APC declared that members of the ruling party could not afford to be opponents to themselves so as to continue to win all elections in the country.
According to him, he was in the Senate to inform party caucus of his intention to contest for the national chairmanship office and also seek their support to clinch the position.
“I believe as delegates, as voters in that convention, that your support is very critical to my success and ambition for the chairmanship of our great party.

“I had managed to build bridges across all divide, as I used to say, there is a supra party which the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we all have a role to play to contribute to its growth and development for the benefit of all citizens”.
Oshiomhole assured the senators that if elected as the chairman, he would make “APC a political party where every member will have sense of belonging with equal opportunity and mutual respect for each other”.
He said: “People celebrate democracy not because dictatorship cant deliver but because dictatorship is not participatory and for affairs of men and women who are of age, they dont just want to be fed, they want to participate and governance is not just about delivery, it is about participation where people are not just the object of development, they are also the means and the drivers of the process of development”.

The aspirant promised to do things in different ways that would benefit APC, its members, Nigerians and the country in general if given the opportunity to lead the party.
Oshiomhole said: “I will work with leaders of the party at all levels to resolve any arising issue. With your support, we can rebrand our party, resolve any issue under closed doors and come out smiling”.
Responding, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki commended the former governor for his interest and courage to contest the national championship position of the party.
He said with Oshiomhole’s capacity and ability, he would deliver on his promises and be able to take on the challenges that are necessary.