GOMBE State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON, has joined his counterparts elected under the banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other stakeholders of the party from the North-East geo-political region at a consultative meeting which held on Sunday in Gombe.
The meeting, which drew key party stakeholders across the region as well as the national chairman of the party, served as a platform to take stock and analyze the achievements and challenges of the party as a mid-term self assessment. It was to also consolidate party unity and reinforce confidence in the Tinubu administration’s reform-driven agenda.
Speaking at the event, Governor Inuwa Yahaya declared that himself and the entire APC members and people of Gombe state as well as his counterparts from Borno and Yobe and all stakeholders from the Northeast, will work towards the actualization of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
“Let me assure Mr. President that under his leadership, our hope remains alive. We are satisfied with your leadership, and we shall mobilize and go all out, as one united family from the North-East, North-West, North-Central, South-West, South-East, and South-South, to support him and ensure the APC retains power at in 2027 and beyond”, he added.
The Governor used the occasion to call for party unity, recalling the journey of the APC in Gombe State, which transformed from an opposition state in 2015 to a ruling party in 2019 due to the resilience and determination of party loyalists.
“As a party, I urge us to remain united as one big family. You may recall that in 2015, Gombe State was not under the APC. However, due to the hard work and commitment of loyal party members, we were able to gain ground and form government in 2019,” he said.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya further spoke on the national economic situation, acknowledging that the hardship Nigerians are facing was due to the inherited challenges accumulated during the 16 years of the PDP leadership, while assuring that just like former President Buhari did his best to address the challenges, President Tinubu is also committed to ensuring that Nigeria gets out of the woods.
“The problems facing Nigeria predate the emergence of the APC. Sixteen years under the PDP only destabilized the nation’s economy. When President Buhari came into office, the challenges were already enormous, but he did his best during his eight years in office and left a foundation”, he explained.
He noted that although Nigerians continue to grapple with economic strain, President Tinubu has exhibited exceptional courage and decisiveness in implementing tough but necessary reforms.
“Today, some people are quick to throw blame at President Tinubu and the APC over the state of the economy without acknowledging the depth of the problems we inherited. Within just two years, the President has demonstrated uncommon courage and boldness in tackling the nation’s economic challenges. We must be patient. Recovery doesn’t happen overnight.”
Governor Inuwa also praised the significant improvement in security, particularly in the North-East: “Let us not forget that before former President Buhari came in, the North-East was devastated by insurgency. Today, we can all say Alhamdulillah,there has been remarkable improvement in the security situation,” he stated.
Addressing party stakeholders and supporters, the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, described the consultative meeting as an important forum that will consolidate on the gains so far made by the APC in the North East Zone and the country as a whole.
He noted that the political antecedent of the North East has become so crucial to the APC hence the party view the zone as a dependable contributor to the winning streak of the APC since inception.
While commending APC Governors in the North East for their incredible performance in their respective States, Dr. Ganduje however singled out Gombe State Governor, and praised him for his transformational leadership and remarkable achievements which have placed the state on a path of sustainable socio-economic and human capital development.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Coordinating Chairman of the APC in the North-East and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, explained that the consultative meeting is an indication of the APC’s commitment towards promoting good governance and building unity among the 6 geopolitical zones, while consolidating the party’s strength and leadership in Nigeria’s political space.
He observed that APC’s 10-year anniversary as Nigeria’s ruling political party is not an ordinary coincident but a product of careful and strategic planning, focused leadership and giving members a sense of belonging, stressing that it is important for the party to take pride in values that unite its membership while addressing internal party wranglings.
Governor Buni, like his Gombe counterpart, equally endorsed the re-election bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
In his remarks, the Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, commended the APC led administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the laudable achievements despite numerous challenges.
Governor Zulum used the occasion to call on the people of the North East, the North and the country as a whole to be patient with the APC led administration as change in whatever form is not easy to come, noting that the economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu such as subsidy removal and monetary policies have some consequences but that in the long run, it will yield some positive impact.
The Borno State Governor reaffirmed his state’s support for the Tinubu/Shettima joint presidential ticket. He informed the delegates that Borno had taken a clear position on the matter and urged the meeting to adopt the same stance as a formal resolution.
Speaking on behalf of the North-East caucuses of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, and his counterpart in the House, Hon. Usman Bello Kumo, expressed their support for the Tinubu-Shettima mandate. They passed a vote of confidence in the administration and emphasized their commitment to ensuring its continuity.
The event was attended by a wide array of dignitaries, including serving and former principal officers and members of the National Assembly, current and past Ministers, members of the APC National Working Committee, former Governors and Deputy Governors, serving and former Speakers and members of State Houses of Assembly, Heads of Government Agencies, as well as cabinet members from APC-led states in the Northeast, alongside numerous stakeholders and party supporters.
The resolutions of the meeting is to be communicated to the APC National Secretariat.
