Former Abia State
Governor and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu,
said yesterday that the APC government, under President Muhammadu Buhari, is
doing everything to take the country to a new direction where honesty and
patriotism reign.
Onu, who spoke
when he received a delegation from the National Democratic Institute (NDI) at
his Abuja home, also said the three legacy parties formed the APC because of
the realisation that the nation was in need of change.
The former
governor said the formation of the APC gave Nigerians hope, adding that today,
the APC had grown from a party to a mass movement of change.
He said under
President Buhari Nigeria would rediscover its lost virtues, adding Nigeria
would play a greater role in the search for global peace and prosperity.
While praising
the NDI for deepening democracy across the world, Onu said the APC and the
Federal Government would, in future, establish an institute, such as the NDI,
to play the same role, noting that nations embracing democracy hardly go to
war.
Onu said: “It is
clear the President is taking Nigeria to a new direction, and this is important
because we are rediscovering values that make Nigeria a great nation.
“Values that were
overlooked; values that a society needs to become a great. Values, such as honesty
and patriotism. Nigeria was born a great nation and did great things in the
past and there’s so much expectation, not just in Africa but the world over.
“We believe that
the new direction will make Nigeria play a vital role in the search for global
peace and prosperity. I believe we will do what the NDI is doing, I am sure the
APC will get an institute to do the same because we have seen that nations that
embrace democracy hardly go to war.’’
Leader of the
delegation, Nana Ato Dadzie, from Ghana, said they were in the country to
assess the nation’s transition programme, noting that many African countries
had transited from one government to the other, especially when handing over to
a different party.
Dadzie said
“without a sound transition arrangement, a sound election can be botched. In
many countries, transition continues over and over again because sound
foundations are not laid.
“Our mandate here
is to look at the operations on the ground, what exist in Nigeria and to advise
the NDI headquarters.”
The Nation