ON JANUARY 2, 2016 The Chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chapters in Diaspora have decried the exclusion of their members from the recently constituted Presidential Campaign Committee. The chairmen, Mr Bola Babarinde, Dr Philip Idaewor, and Mr Rilwan Ayoola, APC Chairmen in South Africa, UK and Scandinavian, expressed their views in a statement made available on Wednesday in Lagos. Others who signed the statement were, Messrs Lawrence Adelekan, Olanrewaju Balogun, Olalekan Ogunwede, David Abraham and Amb. Tella, the APC Chairmen in Philippines, France, Germany, South Korea and Spain respectively. According to them, the current composition of APC Presidential Campaign Committee clearly omitted the Diaspora Chapters and grant no role to members in Diaspora. They, therefore, called for the inclusion of some of their members in the APC Presidential Campaign Committee, which they said, was without a single Diaspora chapter member. The chairmen said that it believed that the omission could be addressed and that adjustment could still be made to include them in the mainstream politics of Nigeria. “APC in Diaspora contributed immensely to the success of President Muhammadu Buhari at the 2015 General Elections and has started the President re-election campaign. “It is instructive to know that the success of APC in 2015 elections was based on the contributions of many role players, including the party members, both at home and in the Diaspora. “It was based on the contributions of well-meaning individuals, especially outside the country, who maintained a sustained campaign against the then PDP led-government. “Time and other resources were devoted to supporting the APC ascension to power and the government to date. “Unfortunately, most of our contributors to the success of our great party have been
*neglected,” the Diaspora chairmen said.The Diaspora APC chairmen appealed to the party to consider some of their members for appointments. “The membership of APC in Diaspora meant well and have been supporting our party from its inception in 2014 and are still doing so to date. “Sadly, we are the most-neglected in decision making and it will appear that we lack recognition,” they added. According to them, the Diaspora chapters were represented in the last National Convention of the Party in Abuja. They added that members of APC in Diaspora had also sustained the campaign to voters back home to counter the deluge of blackmails and aspersions being cast on the party by the oppositions. The chapters chairmen said that their family members back home respected the opinion of their members in abroad. “In this light, the cooperation of all members, both at home and in the Diaspora, is needed to deliver a successful campaign in the coming general elections, and this calls for a rethink and strategising,” they said.
(NAN)
