TheCable

Salihu Lukman, director-general of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), says leaders of his party are not in denial about the country’s challenges like Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Lukman said All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders must put in place a “strong mobilisation campaign” that would connect citizens with all the initiatives of the government.

The PGF director-general said the absence of this campaign is responsible for the denting of the APC’s image by the opposition parties.

“The fundamental issue is the question of the extent to which APC leaders and members are responding to challenges. Are we taking responsibility? The good thing is that, in APC, leaders are not in denial of the challenges. This was not the case with PDP before 2015 and up to this moment,” he said.

“However, being members of the APC, we should be able to acknowledge too that although, the slogan of the APC is CHANGE, which underlines the commitment of the party and its leadership to bring about change in the country, the programmatic details as articulated in the party’s manifesto require a mobilisation programme in order to win the support of Nigerians.

“One of the big gaps confronting the APC, which unfortunately makes it easy for opposition politicians to dent the party and its governments’ is the absence of a mobilisation programme to engage Nigerians to take responsibility in their different fields of endeavours in responding to challenges facing the country.”

Salihu said the APC is being described as a failure because there is an absence of a mobilisation programme.

“Being able to acknowledge this reality should be supported with good recommendations on how best to develop a strong mobilisation programme to rally the support of Nigerians to address challenges facing the country,” the DG said.

“As members of APC, it should be about responding to the reality facing us and ensuring that we appropriately take responsibility.

“We must engage the issues with all the confidence that our political leaders, especially President Buhari will favourably consider these proposals and strengthen the capacity of the party and its governments to mobilise Nigerians.”