APC Convention: consensus is more of our Democratic tradition- Kalu

By Janet samuel

Consensus is more of the Nation’s Democratic tradition, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Media and Publicity, Honourable Benjamin Kalu has indicated.

Kalu spoke with newsmen in Abuja on the consensus adopted by the party during its convention on March 26, 2022 convention.

Kalu who is representing Bende Federal Constituency in Abia State in the National Assembly, Said there are option of direct, indirect and consensus as methods of choosing those who will lead us.

He stated that the option of consensus has been used before and it was only an agreement option to harmonize the choices of the people.

“We have the option of direct, indirect and consensus as methods of choosing those who will lead us.

“We have used consensus before now to select our leaders. We are not going to jettison that but I want Nigerians to know this consensus is not imposition. Harmonization birth agreement. General agreement is what brings out the consensus candidate.

It’s a more herculean process to get all the players to agree on a particular candidate, not because others are not good but because one person must lead in the midst of equal”, Kalu stated.

The lawmaker maintained that there’s no better time to hold the convention than when it held.

“We have been waiting for it for a very long time and it came at the right time.

“This is because COVID-19 is over and election is around the corner and this also would serve as a marketing tool for the party.

“Several postponement gave us ample time to catalogue and documents a whole lot of succeses on the issues of national importance.

“This is because internal mechanism that respect leadership and the loyalty of the members has strengthened the party. Also the cohesion among the members and the leadership has made the party more formidable”, ha said.

He added that the style of leadership provided by President Muhammadu Buhari has made it easy for all those interests and aspirations that may not be inline with the general interest of the party to be replaced with the overall interest of the party which seeks to advance the democracy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“So tomorrow, at the convention, we are going to be celebrating all the accomplishment of this government in different sector.

“Truth be told. This government came in at a time when the price of oil per barrel was 30-50 dollars, but we didn’t allow that to dictate the objective of this government.

“We pushed with the little resources that we have and stabilized the economy. Many people thought that this government was going to go down and the economy was going to be worst than what we are experiencing today.

“But by dedication, discipline and being able to be prudent with resources in government we have been able to cushion the effect of COVID 19. Which affected most economy of the world.

“The, convention has brouggt in crop of leadership that have integrity and we are the party that will be practicing what we preached through the electoral act.

“Everything that the electoral act had proposed was applied in the election of those who will lead us. We have the option of direct, indirect and consensus as a method of choosing those who will lead us” Hon. Kalu reiterated.

He assured that the party has created a healthy platform that will guarantee victory come 2023.

Kalu was the Vice Chairman of the Broadcast Committee under the sub- Committee of Media and Publicity of the APC convention, and he worked on media involvement towards a successful Congress