President Bola Tinubu on Thursday charged governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to redouble their efforts in delivering development at the grassroots, warning that many Nigerians are still dissatisfied with the pace of governance and the benefits of democracy.
Speaking at the 14th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the APC at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu urged party leaders and elected officials to reconnect with citizens and intensify efforts in improving their welfare at the local level.
“We need to do more. Nigerians are still complaining at the grassroots,” the President said. “You, the governors, have to wet the ground and give more dividends of democracy at the grassroots. We must not rest. Our people need to feel the impact of government more directly.”
He emphasised that the strength and future of the APC lie in its performance at the grassroots, where citizens engage directly with government policies and service delivery.
Tinubu also commended the widespread votes of confidence passed on him by party stakeholders across the zones.
He said such support must be matched with greater unity, commitment, and service across all levels of government.
“I accept the confidence vote expressed today and the ones already expressed at the zonal centres. But we must now translate that trust into action. We must strengthen our chapters and build unity within the party,” he charged.
The President announced plans to construct a new national secretariat for the APC in Abuja, describing the current Muhammadu Buhari House as inadequate for the party’s current and future needs.
“We’ll look for an appropriate land to build a befitting secretariat,” Tinubu said, signaling his intent to institutionalise party administration with modern infrastructure.
The current party headquarters, located at 40 Blantyre Street, Wuse II, was acquired for N2.5 billion and named in honour of former President Muhammadu Buhari. While it hosted the previous NEC meetings, Thursday’s emergency session was moved to the State House for strategic reasons.
Among those in attendance at the meeting were Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu; APC governors, former governors, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and other senior party leaders.
