The former chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party , PDP, Dr. Audu Ogbeh, now the Chairman of the Manifesto Committee of the merged party All Progressives Congress, APC? challenged the ruling Party PDP to emulate APC governors that travelled to the crisis ridden state capital of Borno State, Maiduguri.
Ogbeh threw the challenge at the ruling party during a strategy meeting with representatives of women and youth civil society groups at his residence in Abuja.
He started by commending the 10 APC governors that visited Borno on Thursday amidst conflicting reports of violence from extremists in the city.
“I want to commend and congratulate the APC governors for their trip to Maiduguri two days ago, I think it is one of the most visible expressions of commitment to the sanctity and viability of the Nigerian state, that the governors went there to give financial support to the victims of Boko Haram and defied danger, which then proves that they believe that no single part of the country should be given up.
Continuing? “we cannot afford to give up Borno and Yobe. Borno is the second largest state in the country with 70,000 square kilometers in size, and the young man who is the governor, Kashim Shettima is one of the most courageous men I have ever met, because if any governor in Nigeria has an excuse for not performing or failing, Shettima has! Shettima has been in the midst of that crisis providing developmental programmes in Agriculture which has generated massive employment. This is the face of young leadership, and it is very encouraging.”
Meanwhile the demands laid by the women’s civil society groups, under the umbrella of Civil Society Leaders of Women’s Human Rights Groups to the APC leadership ranged from institutionalizing gender and human rights in the party manifesto amongst which constitutes 35% of delegates in the statutory party conventions and congresses and providing legislation that guarantees? safety net for elderly women and free education for children.