Convention: APC Professionals Demand Transparency

A support group of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) – the APC Professional Forum has challenged party leadership to ensure that candidates for positions at the forthcoming national convention imbibe the progressive ideals of the party as enunciated in the APC national manifesto.

Reacting to the recent leadership crisis in the party in Abuja, the Forum’s Chairman Board of Trustees (BoT) Dr Isa Yuguda, said the group supported President Buhari’s admonition to party leaders to desist from name-calling and backstabbing ahead of the convention by proving doubters wrong.

“We welcome and wholeheartedly support the decision of the Caretaker committee to ensure that the convention takes place as scheduled. To this end, we urged members to be transparent, embrace inclusion and be fair to all interests and aspirants interested in the various National Working Committee positions.

“The Forum stands ready to ensure that all candidates for positions at all levels fully align and imbibe the Progressive ideals of the party as enunciated in the APC National manifesto. We expect them to commit to the major campaign promises of the party, in line with the comprehensive national reform agenda already put in place by the President Buhari led administration, especially with regards to infrastructural renewal and diversification of the economy.

“Also, as an influential Professional group in the party, we remain non-partisan and are prepared to work with anyone who emerges as the new party chairman as well as the new NWC.”

On the ongoing ASUU strike, the group proffered allocation of more funding to the country’s tertiary institutions as a panacea to the perennial Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASSU) strike crippling tbe education sector.

The forum’s chairman, Dr Isa Yuguda who gave this suggestion in Abuja also called for full autonomy for public universities in the country

Yuguda, a former Bauchi Governor, appealed to the Federal and State Governments to provide a comprehensive solution to the problem by adequately financing university education in the country.

According to him: “This should be complemented by a comprehensive National Students Loan Program for indigent students to ensure that funding does not constitute a challenge for our university students.

“We call on the Federal Government to take the bull by the horn and chart a new narrative in the administration and financing of tertiary education in the country.”