—Nigeria, China have long standing relationship—Wu Baocai

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

AHEAD of the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, a delegation of the Communist Party of the Peoples Republic of China and the leadership of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC on Thursday met in Abuja.

Speaking at the meeting, the IPAC national Chairman, Engr. Yabagi Sani said that the visit by the Communist Party to the IPAC headquarters coincided when the Council had concluded plans to visit the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Nigeria.

He further said that the IPAC National leadership will be looking forward for more meetings with officials of the Embassy in the days ahead.

Sani said, “It is a pleasant coincidence that your delegation decided to come over to the office of IPAC just at the point that we had concluded our own plans of visiting the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Nigeria. Further to this initial meeting, IPAC National leadership will still be looking forward for more meetings with officials of your Embassy in the days ahead.

“Let me very briefly touch on the well known facts of the special, the history and, the significance of strengthening the long and existing mutually beneficial friendship and cooperation between the Republics of Nigeria and China.

“While Nigeria was in the forefront of the countries that used the platform of the United Nations to support China in her legitimate demand for recognition and admission to the global body in 1971, the People’s Republic of China on the hand, has since remained a consistent and reliable pillar of support of Nigeria in her quest for economic advancement,

national stability and security.

“It is noteworthy also, that while the two countries have the historic coincidence of sharing the 1st of October as their National Day of Independence, China, by its population, geographical size, economic and technological advancement, is at once, a regional power in Asia and a prominent force to be reckoned with on the global scene.

”Similarly, Nigeria, as the most populous country of the Black race with the largest economy and population on the African continent, has the dual status of being a continental leader and a power house among nations of the world. By it’s mandate, the Inter-Party Advisory Council is no doubt, one of the veritable vehicles for the uplifting of the Sino-Nigerian friendship to higher pedestals.

“All member political parties on the platform of IPAC share a tremendous degree of admiration for the Communist Party of China over its breathtaking accomplishments in the transformation of a rural economy into a world leading economy under a historically unprecedented time span of seventy years.

“We are equally attracted and excited by the phenomenal feat of the CCP in its leadership and guidance of a one point four billion strong population of divergent ethnic backgrounds and communities towards imbibing and internalizing the spirit of a united and patriotic people. We are enthralled by the spectacular achievements, unsurpassed in the records of human development, by the People’s Republic of China under the supervision of the Communist Party, in the near total banishment of poverty, illiteracy and disease.

“We have the vision and the ambition of building a political culture of collaborative democracy as a strategy and vanguard of crystallizing human development through economic prosperity, technological advancements, security and integration in a polity of a united and patriotic citizenry.

“As Nigeria inches towards another round of general elections in 2023, the political atmosphere in the country is already, characteristically, charged to a high pitch. The emerging signals on the political horizon are clearly demanding greater level of preparation and strategies on the part of IPAC and the other strategic key players in the country’s democracy project.

“At this critical juncture, Nigeria will certainly need the robust support usually given by friendly nations in order to be able to surmount the looming challenges. We are in this regard, especially looking towards the People’s Republic of China, through the Chinese Communist Party and other institutions in China that engage in engendering world peace and security in Africa and the rest of the developing countries.

“True indeed, no model of democracy can be wholly imported and transplanted from one country to another. We are however convinced that, while building a model of democracy rooted in their peculiar history, textures and characteristics, there is so much that Nigeria and countries in Africa can learn from the exemplary strides of the Chinese Communist Party.

“In furtherance of the goals of enthroning universal peace and security, unity and fraternity among nations and peoples, the People’s Republic of China, under the supervision of the Communist Party, is expected and looked upon to stand by us towards the eventual achievements of these lofty ideals.”

Also speaking, the leader of the delegation Comrade Wu Baocai flanked by Comrade Zhao Jinshuo said Nigeria and China have a long lasting relationship and that there must be cooperation in order to better the lives of the people.