By Kamil Opeyemi
The Accord party has elected Mr Maxwell Mgbudem as its National Chairman of the party’s Caretaker Committee for the next six months.
Mgbudem was elected at the party National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on Friday night, where the outgone Mohammed Nalado-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party was dissolved after serving out its tenure.
Other members of the new caretaker committee include Adebukola Ajaja as National Secretary, and Yusuf Saulawa as National Treasurer.
Also elected were Hassan Bello as National Financial Secretary, Ibe ThankGod as National Oganising Secretary, Omoregie Solomon as National Publicity Secretary, and Garba Mohammed as National Auditor.
In his acceptance remarks, Mgbudem described his emergence as a bold struggle towards liberating the party.
He pledged to work with everyone to reposition the party and the development of Nigeria.
“A political party is the foundation for the nation’s democracy. Once you get it right the nation will be better for it.
“Get the leadership of political parties right, get their managers to obey the rule of law and it will spread to the larger society.
“When we have men and women that are conscious of the provisions of the constitution, desirous of making the political party work and for the rule of law to prevail, it will help the society.
“Through the men of integrity and capacity so elected, we will be at the helms of affairs of the society.
“The problem we are having today is that a lot of party leaders have commercialized politics. But today we want to tell the world that Accord is a party desirous of building the new cradle that will help in rebuilding the nation.
“From today, the struggle has started and the work has begun. Our election is not to come and relax but to work to build a new Accord Part which will build the nation,” he said.
Mgbudem charged leaders of the party at the state and ward levels to work together in reconciling aggrieved party members.
He said that new leader of party would take the future elections, especially the forthcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states very seriously.
“This is not the time to relax or sleep, Accord must produce governors, members of the National Assembly, State Assemblies and even president,” Mgbudem said.
Earlier in his remarks, the outgone National Chairman, Nalado, commended the party members and leaders for giving him the opportunity to serve the party over the years.
Nalado said that during his tenure as the chairman of the party, he recorded numerous achievements, including election victories.
This, according to him, made it impossible for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister Accord when it deregistered 74 other parties in 2020.
Nalado said that under his watch, Accord party also played a key role in the leadership of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) at the national level, where he was elected national chairman of the council for two terms
He promised that while he is out of office, he would be available to support the new leadership of the party to succeed.
He pledged to continue to support the development of the party whenever he is called upon to do so.