• Oluwajana assures President means well for Nigeria, lashes opposition over structure
• APC set to welcome MJB Movement defectors

Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulazeez Yari, has said the party’s campaign for the 2027 general election will focus on the achievements of the President Bola Tinubu administration rather than making new promises or attacking political opponents.

This was as the party’s former National Vice Chairman, South-West, Bankole Oluwajana, described Tinubu as a “brilliant” leader who, in his assessment, is pursuing policies aimed at restructuring Nigeria and strengthening the economy.

Meanwhile, APC has expressed readiness to welcome more than 10,000 members of various political parties, who are set to formally join the ruling party under the auspices of the Maji Johnson Bello (MJB) Movement.

Yari disclosed this on Wednesday in Gusau, Zamfara State, shortly after a closed-door meeting with Governor Dauda Lawal and traditional rulers in the state.

According to him, the APC intends to run a campaign centred on the performance of the Tinubu administration and its plans for the country if re-elected.

He said despite the challenges Nigeria faced over the years, including periods when some people predicted the country would break apart, Nigerians continued to demonstrate their commitment to preserving national unity.

“Nigeria is a wonderful country. We have been seeing so many things; some predicted that Nigeria would not continue as a country, from June 12 to others. This is where we are. Nigerians continue to ensure this country remains a united country,” Yari said.

ALSO, in a statement yesterday, Oluwajana noted that Tinubu “knows what he is doing and where he is taking Nigeria,” adding that he believes the President means well for the country.

Assessing the administration’s economic policies, the former APC national officer said the removal of fuel subsidy and naira deregulation were necessary measures which could strengthen the Nigerian economy if sustained.

He argued that the country was making progress, citing an increase in foreign reserves from about $28 billion under former President Goodluck Jonathan to about $54 billion presently.

Oluwajana also called for greater attention to agriculture, arguing that Nigeria had historically been a major producer of palm oil, cocoa, groundnuts and other agricultural commodities.

He said the country’s preference for white-collar employment contributed to the decline in agricultural production and urged Nigerians to explore farming and agricultural entrepreneurship as viable economic opportunities.

THE Special Adviser to the APC National Chairman, Abimbola Tooki, stated yesterday that the reception of defectors followed a visit by the executive members of the MJB Movement to the National Secretariat of APC in Abuja on Tuesday, where they met with the leadership of the party ahead of the planned formal defection ceremony.

Receiving the delegation on behalf of the National Chairman of APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, his Personal Private Secretary, Jibrin Bancir, described the decision of the MJB Movement to join the APC as a significant development and an indication of growing confidence in the party and the administration of President Tinubu.

Bancir said the APC was particularly encouraged by the organisational capacity, grassroots reach and political network which the movement was bringing into the party, stressing that the APC remained open to Nigerians who were genuinely committed to the progress, stability and development of the country.

He assured the incoming members that the party would put in place appropriate mechanisms to ensure their seamless integration into the various structures of the APC.

“We are delighted by the huge capacity the MJB Movement is bringing to the table. The APC is ready to receive and integrate all of you into the party structure. We will work out the necessary procedures to ensure that everybody has a place to operate and contribute meaningfully at the local level,” Bancir stated.

Earlier, the Chairman of MJB Movement, Maji Johnson Bello, said the decision of the movement to join APC was informed by its conviction that the reforms being implemented by Tinubu represented the most realistic pathway towards addressing the economic challenges facing Nigeria.