The All Progressives Congress (APC) has assured Nigerians that the party is ready, willing and determined to make all the necessary sacrifices to reverse the prevailing gloomy situation in the country and bring about the much-needed change for the better in the interest of the long-suffering citizens.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said Nigerians should go into the New Year with an unyielding commitment to be part of ongoing efforts to set the country on the path of growth and development, rather than get into a state of funk on the basis of the cumulative mis-governance of the past 14 years by the PDP-led Federal Government.

''While wishing all Nigerians a great 2014, we hereby solicit their unalloyed support for our efforts to reshape the country's political landscape, shake off the heavy yoke imposed on them by their selfish, self-serving and clueless leaders and make the country a source of pride not only to its citizens but to all black people in the world,'' it said.

APC said the first step in what will be a tough but final battle to rescue Nigeria from the clutches of rapacious leaders will be to bring the citizenry on board the train of change that is barrelling through the country, and to ensure that elections in the country are free, fair and credible.

''As we wrote in the preamble to our manifesto, 'democracy, to be stable and meaningful, must be anchored on the principle that government derives its powers from the consent of the governed....This means that governments are instituted on the basis of free, fair and credible elections, and are maintained through responsiveness to public opinion.

'''In addition, the exercise of political authority is rooted in the rule of law. APC believes in the doctrine of social contract between the leaders and the led; which means that the public office holder is a trustee of the people and that power must be used in the interest of the people rather than in the interest of the public office holder','' the party said.

It said in order to ensure that as many Nigerians as possible are brought aboard the APC train of change, the party will kick-start its membership registration drive early in the year, targeting in particular the youth who are indispensable in any effort to bring about change.

''We ask all those who are yearning for genuine change to seize the moment and embrace the engine of change, which the APC represents! Our compatriots who have lost faith in our dear country because of inefficient and corrupt leadership can count on us, because we represent committed, transparent and focused leadership,'' APC said.

The party pledged to halt the country's drift towards a failed state with a conscious plan for a post-oil economy in Nigeria, details of which will be outlined in the weeks and months ahead; and to make the welfare and security of the citizenry, which is the raison d'etre of any government, its top priority;

APC said that in order to extricate Nigeria from the dire straits in which it has been plunged by the successive PDP governments, the party has decided to make as its priority the War Against Corruption; Food security; Accelerated Power Supply; Integrated Transport Network; Free Education; Devolution of Power; Accelerated Economic Growth and Affordable Health Care.

''We know skeptics will sneer at these and deride them as mere sloganeering. After all, Nigerians have been taken for a ride for the past 14 years by those who have mistaken transmogrification for transformation, and those who have relentless pursued power for the sake of power, rather than to use it to harness the country's abundant human resources.

''But most things look impossible until they have been achieved, and the impressive record of performance in the states under our control, from Kano to Imo states and from Lagos to Edo, testifies to our ability, determination and willingness to make things happen for the benefit of our people,'' the party said.

Meanwhile, the party has said the year 2013 is among the worst, if not the worst, for the citizenry, who have been pauperized and dehumanized by a government that keeps touting favourable economic statistics in the face of an unprecedented fall in the standard of living of its people.

''They say President Jonathan's achievement in 2013 is unprecedented, yet Nigerians celebrated the Christmas and New Year holidays in unprecedented pitch darkness and an unprecedented number of our youths are unemployed; They say they are winning the war against corruption, yet key government officials, including the so-called Coordinating Minister of the Economy, do not even know how much Nigeria earns from crude oil and gas sales, and what happened to 12 billion dollars earned from domestic crude lifting; They are so eager to cling to any straw of 'achievement' that they are celebrating the revival of the locomotive engine in the 21st century!

''Such is their insensitivity and total lack of compassion for human beings that the Jonathan administration will rather spend the nation's scarce resources on importing animals for the villa zoo and on purchasing presidential jets that they do not need.

[b]''Because this government has become numb to reason, because this government has deteriorated from cluelessness to hopelessness and because this government has totally lost any sense of direction, [/b]we say it is time for Nigerians to gird their loins and join hands with all those who are seeking genuine change. To adapt Mahatma Gandhi's timeless quote, Nigerians must be the change they wish to see in their country, and the year 2014 must be our Year of Change!'' APC said.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
Interim National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Lagos, Dec. 31st 2013

Meanwhile, the party has said the year 2013 is among the worst, if not the worst, for the citizenry, who have been pauperized and dehumanized by a government that keeps touting favourable economic statistics in the face of an unprecedented fall in the standard of living of its people.

They are simply doing statistical harakari by jumping numbers in voodoo which do not tally with the realities on ground. The case of When the head is rotten.....

count me among the willing nigerias dat needed progressive change

CUTE AND COMPELLING SPEECH.

APC has shown it cannot bring the desire change we need.With people like you ,Lai and your fellow terrorist hell bent in taking power back to the Northerners who are responsible for the current woes you wrongly heaped on this present Administration,you and your cohorts can not bring in any positive change.

Mtscheeeeeee..........

Clerverly:

Until we try them, you cannot be correct. At least we tried the retardeen and we have seen how incompetent and corrupt he is, so lets give them chance and wait for them in 2019.

What do you mean try them?
Have we not been recycling the same northern oligarchy since 1960.

The first step is to
the National Assembly should take the budget and do a page one rewrite.
A good write up.

APC wishing me a happy new year?

Thank God I am Biafran!

How Far?:


What do you mean try them?
Have we not been recycling the same northern oligarchy since 1960.

Forget that propaganda
How has obj and gej benefitted nigeria
If Apc brings a good candidate
i'll personal go on the street and schools to campaign for them

How Far?:


What do you mean try them?
Have we not been recycling the same northern oligarchy since 1960.

The same way we had recycled the southern oligarchy! So until we try them, you cannot be sure.

noblezone: APC wishing me a happy new year?

Thank God I am Biafran!

Musiwa

I laff in pidgin. Change by who? Last tym I checked, they were accepting decampees from PDP who are d ruling party. Their 'reformed' members have basically been d ones in power so I don't know where the supposed change will come from. Make I hear word joor.

king94: I laff in pidgin. Change by who? Last tym I checked, they were accepting decampees from PDP who are d ruling party. Their 'reformed' members have basically been d ones in power so I don't know where the supposed change will come from. Make I hear word joor.

Are suggesting they reject them?

Clerverly:

Are suggesting they reject them?

Do u accept d ppl u have tagged 'corrupt' just because dey claim to share ur ideologies? Going to meet Obasanjo 4 what? Like minds mix. If dey accept dem, dat makes dem no different from PDP.

@ Cleverly,You and your Northern antics to return power back to a Muslim is well know fact.if you people think other Regions are only fit to feed you and not fit to rule,then a greater shock await you and your brotherhood Party.Am not from Niger Delta but am sure they will seceed with the wealth and let see if you guys will still clamor to rule with revenue generated only from sales of groundnut,meat and cereal.You guys can have power if you want but it will be total resources control.

If the change Nigerians need is for APC to surrender States Party Structures to PDP decampees while offering automatic return tickets to all PDP eligible Governors, elected representatives, senators and all public office holders. I am afraid it doesn't add up.

The final battle will be who commands the majority in APC National Congress where Kwankwaso is determined to dislodge the Old APC with his men in a democratic coup.

Anyway, APGA is watching, let them offer the South East the implementation of the much eluded promise of Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of the effects and setbacks of the civil war to get us on board.

GREAT SPEECH

All Propanganda Congress (APC)

People Demonising People (PDP) have decieved us for 14 years, I know APC is far from perfect but I am more than willing to see the other side. Lets taste another meal jare. I AM TIRED OF PDP.

''They say President Jonathan's achievement in 2013
is unprecedented, yet Nigerians celebrated the
Christmas and New Year holidays in unprecedented
pitch darkness and an unprecedented number of our
youths are unemployed; They say they are winning the
war against corruption, yet key government officials,
including the so-called Coordinating Minister of the
Economy, do not even know how much Nigeria earns
from crude oil and gas sales, and what happened to
12 billion dollars earned from domestic crude lifting;
They are so eager to cling to any straw of
'achievement' that they are celebrating the revival of
the locomotive engine in the 21st century!

IT IS FINISHED.

Obiagelli:
IT IS FINISHED.

Did i see Kano on d list? Is it upto 3months that kwakwanso joined you guys, and you have suddenly taken d glory of everything he "achieved" under PDP?

dinachi: People Demonising People (PDP) have decieved us for 14 years, I know APC is far from perfect but I am more than willing to see the other side. Lets taste another meal jare. I AM TIRED OF PDP.

testing them by bringing the same people from PDP to APC . the same people you condemned you guys can't be serious.

teskyg: @ Cleverly,You and your Northern antics to return power back to a Muslim is well know fact.if you people think other Regions are only fit to feed you and not fit to rule,then a greater shock await you and your brotherhood Party.Am not from Niger Delta but am sure they will seceed with the wealth and let see if you guys will still clamor to rule with revenue generated only from sales of groundnut,meat and cereal.You guys can have power if you want but it will be total resources control.

Comedian You see your life?

what is this lai bonga saying. nothing is happening in edo state.