“I embraced the APC platform for genuine change. I am truly proud to be part of the APC family. I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of goodwill and welcome that I have received from members of this party and other Nigerians since the formal notification of my membership of APC. From the depth of my heart I say thank you to all,” Tambuwal said.
Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal, on Wednesday said that Nigerians are yearning for true change and his new party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), represents the only hope for this change and a promise of a brighter Nigeria.
Tambuwal, who announced his defection from to APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday, said this during the extra-ordinary national convention of the opposition party, which held at the Old Parade Ground, Abuja.
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He thanked Nigerians for supporting him and assured them that he would continue to work for the development of the country. He also explained his reasons for joining the party.
“I embraced the APC platform for genuine change. I am truly proud to be part of the APC family. I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of goodwill and welcome that I have received from members of this party and other Nigerians since the formal notification of my membership of APC. From the depth of my heart I say thank you to all,” he said.
“The programmes of APC are very attractive and would bring about radical changes in the way we do business in Nigeria. APC has been giving Nigerians hope. The party has the progressive ideals of good governance to which I subscribe and wholeheartedly embrace. I have embraced the APC platform as a veritable instrument for genuine change and enduring national development.
“We must constantly remind ourselves that Nigerians are yearning for true change and APC represents the hope for this change and a promise of a brighter Nigeria. This is a party that we believe that by the grace of God, come 2015, shall deliver this country from the evil that it has been plunged into by a certain cabal.
“I hereby dedicate myself to the task of building and growing our great party and helping our party achieve its vision of lifting Nigeria to a glorious height and restoring hope to the citizens of our great country. In this regard, I hereby call on other Nigerians to join this movement to deliver on the promise on a new Nigeria.
“In the weeks ahead, we will engage party men and women and Nigerians on the future direction of our nation and means of rescuing it from the malaise of youth unemployment, insecurity, institutionalized corruption, poverty, social economy decline and infrastructural decay.”
Also at the convention, National Chairman of APC, John Oyegun, introduced all the candidates who had obtained the presidential nomination form. The surprise of the lot was Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, whose presidential ambition little had been heard of before the convention.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was absent, as he was out of the country, while Muhammadu Buhari, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and Sam Nda-Isaiah all spoke to the crowd.