A leader of the new Peoples Democratic Party bloc, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, said the decision to pick Alhaji Buba Galadima as the National Chairman of the Reformed All Progressives Congress was because he is incorruptible.
Baraje, who said Galadima’s sterling qualities and commitment to the Nigerian dream stood him out among his peers, lampooned the Federal Government’s fight against corruption.
He noted that the new leader is capable of attracting the same electoral votes garnered by President Muhammadu Buhari in the North during the last election.
He said: “Sometimes last week, I made a press release on the nPDP when a lot of you were making enquiries about where we were going, what was going to be our next step, are we still talking to the government or party APC? I dropped a hint that before the end of the first week of July, where we are will be made known to Nigerians and today you have now seen where we are.
“Secondly, I was going through the papers today and one of the national dallies caught my attention, it said Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso had said bye to the APC. We just finished speaking with him and he is in support of Mr Chairman. He just finished with Kwankwoso, he was astonished that such a story can fly that is part of the antics the chairman is referring to.
Rabiu Kwankwoso is very much with this group. We were together when the national officers’ names were being put together and we held final meetings on the address of today. So there is no cause for alarm.”
Debunking allegations that the nPDP members were aggrieved over their inability to make personal financial gains from the government, Baraje said they were not satisfied with the failure of the party to operate within the realms of its electoral promises in line with the manifesto of the party.
“We knew the content of the manifesto that APC was supposed to run and we stood for three years and came out when we waited for three years hoping for things to change and it never changed and we came out to say no.
“And, before you know it, they even went deeper with the mischief today with the news items in the said national paper. This is the beginning of all mischiefs, this is the beginning of the real, reformed APC, this is the struggle for the emancipation of our country to stop the bloodletting, rejuvenate the economy of this country, to ensure there is three square meals on the table of the average Nigerian. This is what we stand for, strengthening the system and not the individual.
Galadima described the change promised by the APC as a “fake change”, adding that the RAPC would bring real change in the 2019 elections under his authentic leadership.
“We are saying that we are the authentic leaders if the APC, if anybody disputes that, let him go to court, we will meet him there. Do the Senate President and the Speaker belong to any party? If they were members of any of the four parties (that formed the APC) you mentioned, it means they are part of this.
“Lastly, on the question my leader avoided regarding what happened in Kwara State today, I will answer you, that it is only the beginning of what will happen in the country in the next few days.” (The Nation)
