By Dan Sule-Jalingo
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Aspirants Forum has expressed disappointment over the non inclusion of her members on the ministerial list released by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, contrary to an earlier agreement reached with the President in confidence.
Mr. Ben Adaji, who addressed a press briefing in Jalingo on behalf of the National leader of the forum Alh. Bashir Yusuf Muhammed, said that it has become imperative for the forum to draw the attention of the president to the plight of the key stakeholders of the forum, who had aspired for various national positions under the platform of the party.
Adaji said that most members of the forum who were aggrieved after the primaries held prior to the general election had opted to leave the party but were persuaded by the president to stay back with the promise that he would take them into consideration in his appointments.
Adaji, who aspired for House of Representatives in Ankpa, from Kogi state and double as the spokesperson of the Kogi state chapter of the forum, noted that the members are concerned that not even one member of the forum was included in the present batch of appointments so far made by the President and urged him to correct it in his subsequent appointment.
“Gentlemen of the press, it has become imperative for me to address you today to register the disappointment of the APC national aspirants forum over the appointments made by President Muhammadu Buhari to far, especially the ministerial list.
The forum which has been in existence for over four years, comprises of all the persons who aspired under the platform of the APC in the 2015 and 2019 elections.
Hon. Ben Adaji who alleged that the 2018 primaries of the party were occasioned by alot of irregularities said, most of them who felt shortchanged by the process had opted to leave the party but the president persuaded us to stay back and work for the success of the party, with the assurance that we would be taken into consideration during his appointment.
“It is therefore very disappointing that the ministerial list is out and none of our members is on the list. We consider this an oversight and call on the president to consider our members who have worked so faithfully and have contributed enormously towards the success of this party, in his subsequent appointments.
He noted that the aspirants forum is the live wire of the party, comprising of the members who are constantly in touch with the people and a failure to carry them along may spell doom for the party in the forthcoming general elections in some states such as Kogi and others and may threaten the very sustenance of the party beyond 2023.
“Right Now, these set of aggrieved members need to be carried along otherwise, the very existence of the party may not be guaranteed beyond 2023. I can assure you that the party stand a very good chance of performing well in the forthcoming general election in some states across the country later this year. But even that is under threat of the aggrieved members are sidelined”.
