By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the United Kingdom have called on President Muhammadu Buhari and Chairman of the party,Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to ensure that party members are the first to be considered for appointments into the board of the newly established Nigeria Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, United Kingdom, UK.

The group made the call at the weekend, in a statement, jointly signed by Dr. Philip Idaewor, Chairman APC UK, as well as APC Committee of Diaspora and Mr. Lawal Ayoola, Chairman APC Scandinavia and Secretary, APC Committee of Diaspora.

The group maintained that neglecting party members in government in a multiparty democracy is bad politics that spells danger to the country’s democracy.

Ideawor and Ayoola, said the demand became necessary, following moves by members of the opposition parties, described as “technocrats” to get appointments in the board of NIDCOM.

According to the chairmen, “Over past two weeks, we have watched in utter amazement as our vibrant party members have had to voice their fears and opposition to the again developing scenario where our party members works hard, spend their time and resources to get our party into government only to find that members of the opposition and so called technocrats who were either vehemently opposed to our party’s manifesto and vision, and/or simply were focused on pursuing their personal businesses suddenly become the darling of our party leaders in government.

“Our position is clear, the Diaspora membership of the Commission’s board should come from among our members who have campaigned hard to get this government into office because we believe in the vision and ideology of the party and President Muhammadu Buhari.

“We, therefore, call on our Party Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and President Muhammadu Buhari to impress on all our leaders in government to think of the future of our democracy, our party and country as it amounts to injustice to keep treating loyal and committed party members as non-essentials to our democratic development.

“We conclude by reinstating our request; that our members in the Diaspora expect nothing less than having full representation on the Board of the Nigeria Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).

“We as leaders of our party in the Diaspora, fully stand with the leadership of our party on this issue of ensuring that party members become the first consideration for appointments to run and drive our party’s agenda and a manifesto for the good of Nigeria.

“We do not accept that people who hold opposing political ideologies or not can effectively mobilise or motivate Nigerians to move our country to the next level of political and economic growth away from the corruptive rentier attitude to National development that has hitherto characterised governance in Nigeria.

“To the specific subject of NIDCOM, we wish to state that our party members get the first call to serve in getting this commission off to a smooth and strong start.

“We strongly reject the subterranean campaigns and activities of NIDO, who are mostly Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, members, that the board of the commission should be constituted by her members. The Committee of Diaspora Chairman of the APC wishes to state without ambiguity, that we do not accept that argument.

“We also fully and unequivocally support our party members who have become positively vocal in calling for an end to the doctrine of “monkey dey work baboon dey chop” cliché. We again firmly agree with them that party members must have the prerogative in serving in an APC government at all levels.

“The idea of a political party in government shopping for candidates to serve in her government from the opposition is strange to multiparty democracy and it is an unhealthy concept to the growth, maturation, and stability of our democracy.

“The evidence are there from nations with more matured multiparty democratic experiences from around the world, that when a party wins an election, she will actively ensure that political offices are filled by members/supporters of the party, not by people from the opposition.”