Former councillors under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) of 774 local government areas in the country have elected the national executives to pilot the affairs of the members.
At the forum’s national convention held in Kuje, Abuja, the patron of the forum and former Kuje Area Council chairman, Hon. Danladi Etsu Zhin, said the new body would help in setting up structures that will bring development closer to rural dwellers.
Zhin, who said he was a councillor from 1991-1993, asserted that the APC ex-councillors’ forum was an opportunity to give sense of belonging to all councillors, especially the former ones.
He stated that councillors were the only people closer to the grassroots and should be provided with a platform to always contribute for effective development of their people.
Zhin, who is also the FCT Federal Commissioner of Public Complaint Commission and APC aspirant for the Federal House of Representatives comprising Gwagwalada, Kuje, Kwali and Abaji constituency in 2019, described the forum as a political mobiliser that needed the full attention of all areas to boost development across the 774 local government areas of the country.
Zhin said the idea was initiated as a means of connecting government to the people at local level, as well as ensuring APC’s victory at the forth coming elections, from presidency to local and state.
In their separate acceptance speeches, the forum National Chairman, Hon. Egop Egoh Igah from Rivers state and National Secretary, Hajia Aisha Yakubu from the FCT, pledged their commitment to doing all that will connect political office holders together.
They regretted that despite the councillors’ contributions to democracy, they were not being recognised in the society, and urged for greater attention.
The electoral chairman and Niger state leader of the forum, Hon. Hashimu Izom, who presided over the convention, declared other executives to include National Vice chairman-1, North, Audu Bawa; National Vice Chairman-2, South, Faith Omeletus; and Publicity Secretary, Abidde Gesiye.