TheCable

Atiku Bagudu, governor of Kebbi, says the current internal wrangling in the All Progressive Congress (APC) will not affect the party in the 2023 elections.

Bagudu spoke on Wednesday while fielding questions from state house correspondents at the presidential villa, Abuja.

He said dissent and differences in opinions are a part of party politics.

According to him, rather than disintegration, the current disagreements will make the ruling party better and lead to the progress of the country.

He said despite the issues affecting the party, the APC under the present national caretaker committee has attracted more people including serving governors and lawmakers.

“First, let us know that the distinction between democracy and possibly other forms of government is that there will be differences of opinion and the hope that such differences of opinion will from time to time bring out the best or move society forward,” he said.

“We have been a party that recognises that there will never be one voice and we don’t pray that there will be one voice. We pray that people should be able to express themselves, bring different ideas, even when there is conflict with those ideas within the systems created by the democracy, we sit and iron them out.

“To suggest that because there is dissent or differences in opinion, that it will affect the fortune of our party, I think that is quite far-fetched. We are a party that recognises that for us to continue to deliver, we must debate, we must compete, and we must bring ideas to the government.

“Mind you, remember that particularly in the last two years, under the current caretaker committee chairman, Mai-Mala Buni, three serving governors, one serving deputy governor, a number of serving senators, members of the national assembly, former this, former that have joined the party.

“That is the best evidence that this party is continuing to deliver on the promises that Nigerians have trusted us with, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.”