Umahi’s defection to APC, a tip of the iceberg — Fayemi

The Northern Nigeria Conference of All Progressives Congress Publicity Secretaries on Wednesday conferred the award of Dependable Friend of The North on the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

The award presentation ceremony, which took place at the Ekiti State Governor’s lodge in Abuja, was attended by the 20, including FCT, APC Publicity Secretaries from the North.

Speaking at the brief ceremony, Fayemi thanked the party’s image makers in the entire Northern Nigeria for the honour done him.

He said: “This award is greatly appreciated because it is coming from you the eyes and mouth of the party.

“I would have loved to stay longer so that we can interface and exchange ideas on how to move our great party forward, but I’ve to join other leaders of the party in Abakaliki right now where we would be receiving the state Governor into our party.

“The reception in Ebonyi is only a tip of the iceberg of those moving into our party.

“The issues raised by the Chairman of this conference are germane, but I can assure you that nobody will be pushed aside by the impending membership drive.

“There has been a lot of misinformation on the desirability or otherwise of this new party registration exercise.

“The need to clean up the book is critical because so many movements have taken people like Dr. Bukola Saraki, Godwin Obaseki, Governor Aminu Tambuwal  out of the party.

“Some people also joined us.

“Some of the executives in some states are even in the PDP now.

“We can’t proceed to the next convention without a proper register of party members.

“The earlier this is done to allow room for reconciliation, the better for us.”

In his own speech, the FCT Publicity Secretary and Chairman of the association, Engr. Usman Adaji, said the choice of Fayemi, who is also Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, for the award was informed by his bridge-building efforts, which he described as having helped in repositioning the party in the North.

Adaji said: “Governor Fayemi is a bridge builder, a cosmopolitan politician with a pan-Nigerian outlook.

“Our leaders identify with him and we have unflinching confidence in him and his capacities.”

NONCAPS was formed towards the end of 2018 by APC Publicity Secretaries from the North to synergise and evolve workable approaches that would enhance effective information dissemination about the APC-led Federal Government and all states of Northern Nigeria.