Buhari, Atiku, others urge PDP to learn from APC’s success story

President Mohammadu Buhari and other eminent Nigerians, Monday, challenged the PDP and other opposition parties in the country to learn from the tenacity and rough path to glory of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in order to advance the democratic space and good governance in the country.
They threw the challenge at the public presentation ceremony of the book: From Opposition to Governing Party: Nigeria’s APC Merger Story, written by the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, at Yar’ Adua’s Centre, Abuja.
In his remarks, President Mohammadu Buhari, described the book as a compendium of political history of APC’s success story, worthy of emulation by every opposition party.
The President, who commended Onu for authoring the book, traced the history of APC’s merger, which said was a very torteous journey for all the merger forces that gave birth to the ruling party.
He said the book would not only be an asset to the economic development of the country but also politically. He stressed the need for every politician and parties to learn for the book what it takes to rise from opposition to ruling party, describing it as an intellectual exercise.
‘‘Onu has not only contributed economically by writing this book but politically. It is a product of intellectual and political work. We are inclined not to learn from the history but this book will serve as a compendium of our checkered political history for everyone to learn from our political past and move the nation forward.
‘‘Without the emergence of APC, PDP would have killed Nigeria. That is why we stood our ground tenaciously in the midst of failures and difficulties to form APC. After I lost three times in the presidential election I decided not to contest again but people came and persuaded me to run again, saying that, ‘‘I no longer belong to myself but to them and urged me to accept their request.’’
He however, challenged the Minister to use his wealth of experience and intellect to transform the nation through his ministry by producing creative and innovative scientists.
‘‘As a scientist, I can trace my relationship with Ogbonnaya Onu to 2005, during the early days of the formation of APC merger. I throw the challenge to him and I would want to see how many world class scientist he will produce for Nigeria,’’ he said.
Earlier in his address, former Vice President and Chairman of the occasion, Atiku Abubakar, said Onu’s appointment was a well-deserved.
He described the Minister as a gentle man, with amazing intellect with sense of focus, humility and honesty.
He said the book represents story of patriotism, hope, determination and sacrifice for humility and above all for change, which Nigerian have long awaited.
‘‘It is amazing for him to find time to chronicle a book on the progressives to come together in the interest of the country to provide alternative leadership.
‘‘For me, it is a story of patriotism and hope, determination, sacrifice for humility and above all for change,’’ he added.
The former Vice President went further to commend the author for putting together the history of the ruling party and how it snatched power from the former ruling party, the People Democratic Party (PDP), which he said ‘‘has lost its soul and abandoned its patriotic principles.’’
For him, the story of APC, will place Nigeria as a reference point for other African countries to learn from.
‘‘Nigeria’s story in Africa makes this a story of innermost lessons for all African countries. I have no doubt that you have the capacity for a multi-task to drive the ministry of science and technology to the desired level,’’ he said.
In his goodwill message, the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwa, said his emergence as the Speaker of the seventh Assembly was as a result of the effort of all the forces that formed APC.
Tambuwa, who described Onu as a man of many parts, said the book will ever remain a reference point for all political parties, which for him was a classical outing for Dr. Onu.
Source: Emmanuel Elebeke