Dr Ibrahim Emokpaire, a former national chairmanship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on members of the party to embrace party supremacy to ensure its unity and development.
Emokpaire, who is also the founder of Progressive Solidarity Forum (PSF), made the call while speaking with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.
He urged APC members to at all times see the party as supreme, saying that this was the way to go.
He, however, congratulated the party’s leadership, its National Working Committee (NWC) and President Muhammadu Buhari for the bold step taken to set up a reconciliation committee.
NAN reports that the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) had adopted the recommendation of its National Caucus that President Buhari as leader of the party, constitute a National Reconciliation Committee.
The committee was empowered to address grievances of party members and resolve existing conflicts with a view to fostering unity and oneness within the party’s fold.
The decision was one of the highlights of the APC NEC meeting held on Nov. 22.
The 10-member National Reconciliation Committee has Senate President Ahmed Lawan as its Chairman while the party’s first interim National Chairman, Bisi Akande, is Vice-Chairman.
Other members of the committee are Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Ahmed Wase, Sen. Tanko Al-Makura, Sen. Kashim Shettima, and Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, Alhaji Nasiru Aliko Koki, Sen. Khairat Gwadabe-Abdulrazak, and Sen. Binta Garba.
Emokpaire described members of the committee which has Sen. John Enoh as Secretary as persons with impeccable character and expressed confidence that they would deliver on their mandate.
“No group or individuals should feel bigger than the party. If every group or individuals feel they can chose who should be in the committee, we would have an endless composition of reconciliation committee,‘’ he said.
Emokpaire implored the party members to stop personal attacks on the party’s leadership.
He particularly advised the reconciliation committee to assist the party’s NWC to develop an inclusive policy where every member would have a sense of belonging.
He advised the party’s leadership to put in place a brain gain policy to support the government.
“Over the years we have witnessed massive brain drain of talented and qualified Nigerians leaving the country.
“It is time to put in motion a brain gain policy to attract those in the diaspora to return home to add value to the country,” the APC chieftain said. (NAN)
