We encourage internal democracy to reduce factionalization, tension in our party – Ganduje

By Abdullahi Yusuf

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, says the party is encouraging internal democracy so as to reduce factionalization in the party.

Ganduje said the measure is also aimed at reducing tension in the ruling party.

He made the disclosure while receiving members of the Correspondents’ chapel of the Kano State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ) in his office in Abuja on Thursday.

“We always encourage internal democracy so that we reduce tension, factionalisation of the Party.

“Even though you have to get incidences here and there but equally the same, when we have internal democracy you will find that there is more understanding and there is more hope, especially when you are facing an election,” he explained.

He also expressed the importance of having a connection between those in office and those who are handling the affairs of the party.

“That is if you are talking of the governors, they have a close relationship between them and the party’s structure in the state level and the same thing at the national level.

“So, we normally invite our officials from the state level and give them some information, educate them on issues like internal democracy,” Ganduje,who is also the immediate past Governor of Kano State, said.

He also disclosed that the APC has established a Progressives Institute as an intellectual Wing of the party.

“Also on the issue of having an intellectual wing for the party, we established what we call the progressives institute. It is to analyse national issues so that they can get the attention of the government to become an agenda for the government,” he said.

Ganduje observed that political parties in developing countries like Nigeria are normally active during electioneering campaigns,” but that is not how it should be.”

This,he said, informed the decision of the APC to change the narrative and be active all-year-round.

“When we came in, we said we must change the narrative. Our political Party, the APC as an institution, we wanted to be active throughout the year; that is why we directed our offices and chapters at Ward level to ensure that all our offices are renovated, so as to become habitable and also become operational.

“That is only possible when they create activities that will be taking place at the party offices right from Ward level to the Local Government level down to the state level,” he added.