By Kehinde Bamigbetan
Renewed Hope, Renewed Party
Inspired by the Renewed Hope Agenda, the All Progressive Congress in Lagos State set the pace for the renewal of the party last Tuesday with the stakeholders forum. I left the event, convinced that our Party is ready for the next election
Although the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for re-election marked the climax of the historic event, it is important that democrats within the party recognise the positive lessons that the event signify.
One, the party as a platform for the contestation of ideas. A democratic party must provide opportunties for the rank and file to ventilate their views on the happenings within its structures. The critical presentations of the party’s General Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru and former Lagos State Governor Mr Raji Fashola emphasise the need to interrogate the procedures for recruitment, rewards and mobilisation of party members.
Two: the party as platform for accountability. Kudos to the chairman of the party in Lagos State, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi for inviting ministers and legislators who are in power today because the party put them in office to give account of the president’s stewardship. The Minister of Education, Dr.Tunji Alausa dazzled the audience with an avallanche of facts and figures which put to rest any doubt over the president’s achievements in the education sector.
The presentations of the Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun and the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole captured the progress made by the Tinubu administration.
Let’s get it right. By rendering account, the ministers, lawmakers, Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat and Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu took party members to class by demonstrating the principle of representative democracy. Power ultimately belongs to the people, who,periodically, elect their representatives.
Without rendering those accounts, the call for endorsement of the president for another term would have sounded hollow. Anyone who listened to the accounts rendering could, logically, relate to the idea of re-election. Mr President, congratulations in advance!
To paraphrase Asiwaju, Lagos APC has put its hand on the plough. Its decision to embark on the tour of the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs should be used to engage party members to interrogate the issues of intra-party democracy,, recruitment and the reward system.
Let us renew our Party and give Hope to the youth, the women, workers and the elderly.
Bamigbetan was Chief Press Secretary to Tinubu and a former Commissioner for Information in Lagos