APC leaders need to sacrifice personal aspirations – Oshiomhole

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State on Thursday said the new mega party, the All Progressives Congress, will succeed only if leaders of the party would sacrifice their personal aspirations in the interest of the nation.
Speaking during a visit to him by the former presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party and former Governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who led a high-powered delegation of the ANPP on a visit to him in Government House, Benin City, Oshiomhole said: “All of us as leaders and followers should recognise that for a merger to be fruitful, a level of sacrifices will be required and everyone will be required to moderate his aspiration and people must be ready to submit their personal interest to bigger national interest.
“I have no doubt that all those involved in the process recognize that these are the irreducible minimum and we are all determined to make those sacrifices.
“At the end of the day, it is all about Nigeria, not about individuals or party.
“It’s about giving our people an alternative base to choose from.
“That the electorate have the power to reward or sanction and those who wish to be in power have to listen to the yearnings of the electorate.”
Oshiomhole, who praised the emergence of the APC, said: “It is healthy, having recognized that we all accept there is no better alternative than democracy and the best evidence that democracy works is when people are able to choose from one political party or the other so that they can compare and contrast.”
Oshiomhole said in matured democracies all over the world where governance has changed from one political party to another, one will find two major political parties and they may also have a third fringe party, which chooses to go into alliance as in the case of a parliamentary system.
Shekarau said one of the major assignments of the National Rebuilding and Inter-Party Committee of the ANPP is to reach out to other political parties of like minds to enrich the democratic process and give Nigerians an alternative choice.
He noted that the formation of the APC by four frontline progressive parties is a major breakthrough in the country and he assured that the ANPP is committed to providing the people an alternative platform in the country.
He said: “ANPP is committed to this new change and this new progressive development to provide Nigerians with an alternative platform to ensure that the aspirations of Nigerians for good governance at the centre is realised.”