A former Minister of Aviation, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will inflict ‘fire and fury’ on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) when Nigerians go to polls in 2019.
Fani-Kayode said this,  when he appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today, a day after United States President Donald Trump threatened to unleash ‘fire and fury’ on North Korea.
He explained that with the Supreme Court judgement which ended the leadership tussle in the PDP, the party will go on to reclaim power from the APC.
“Thank God for the rule of law, thank God for the Supreme Court. We are back on course, we have our party back, it’s now left to us to manage the success and ensure that we inflict what I would call ‘fire and fury’ like Donald Trump on the APC in 2019, and I am sure that we will actually do that,” he said.
The former minister, who said the PDP is becoming stable and is determined to regain the trust of the people, accused the APC of being responsible for its crisis.
Stressing that the leadership of the party would ensure its members remain united, Fani-Kayode said Nigerians were dissatisfied with the APC.
He said, “I think it’s fairly obvious that the Nigerian people are no longer happy with the APC; the honeymoon is over and now reality has set in and clearly, people want to change the change.”
Fani-Kayode also accused the APC of immorality and condemned what he described as ‘lies’ that the PDP did not develop the country.
“If you see what is happening in the last two years, I think the question of morality or decency should be put to the existing APC government rather than those of us that were in power before. We did a lot in 16 years regardless of the lies they are telling. PDP achieved a lot of things, we have nothing to be ashamed of; we have everything to look forward to,” he said.
On the PDP’s plans to convince Nigerians to vote it back into power in 2019, Fani-Kayode said it would assure citizens that it would be “changing the change” and ending “the rubbish”, which, according to him, has left many Nigerians – majorly from the southern region, disappointed in the last two years.
“The First song they (PDP) will sing is ‘get rid of the rubbish and get rid of the rot’; the second thing will be ‘changing the change’. Let’s get down to specifics, when we ran the 2015 elections, President Goodluck Jonathan lost by only two million votes, according to their INEC, not our INEC.
“I believe that probably up to 50% – 60% of the people that voted for the APC in 2015, particularly those in Yorubaland and throughout the South and Middle Belt were completely and actually shocked by what has happened in the last two years, and really wished they had voted the other way.”
Also, he expressed confidence that the PDP’s non-elective convention would be a success.
He said, “Our convention will come on August 12, and I’m sure we’ll do very well and from there, we’ll begin the process of pushing the APC out of power.
“If we could have survived one and a half years of ‘ruthless and relentless’ onslaught from the APC Federal Government and their agents who try to come into our party and hijack the party and come out united and stronger, speaking with one voice and one chairman, I really don’t think that we will be unable to manage great success that we’ve just had.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the 2017 PDP Special Non-Elective National Convention and Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was set to take over power at the national level in 2019.
Okowa stated this, last Wednesday, at the meeting of the Convention Planning Committee at the party’s National Secretariat, Abuja.
The committee chairman noted that the party has realised areas they didn’t meet up with the expectations of Nigerians and has vowed to make corrections and provide Nigerians with good governance, anchored on accountability, rule of law and improved welfare of the citizenry.
“Yesterday, we were inaugurated with the task of organising a successful National Convention for our great party, it is our hope that the various committees will set out to work immediately as we have barley few days to go.
“As an organised party, I have confidence in our leaders of the various sub-committees that we will be able to deliver a successful National Convention that we can all be proud of.
“I trust in your abilities because I have seen a good number of committed party members who are dedicated to the cause of ensuring we return back to power in 2019”.
“Our party is back alive and with the National Convention, PDP will send a very strong message that will make Nigerians to realise that we are very much ready to take over power come 2019,” he said.
Members of the planning committee include, Barrister Kelechi Igwe, John Jonah, deputy governors of Ebonyi and Bayelsa states, and chairmen, deputy chairmen, secretaries and deputy secretaries of all the sub-committees attended the meeting.
In a related development,ahead of Saturday’s non-elective convention of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), immediate past President of the Senate, David Mark, has called for a hitch free convention that would further strengthen the party.
According to a statement signed by the Media Assistant to Senator David Mark, Paul Mumeh, in a goodwill message to delegates to the convention, the senator called for a peaceful outing.
Mark, who expressed optimism about the future of the party after the convention, however, warned that the party could not afford to make another mistake.
The PDP just survived a protracted leadership tussle which lasted about two years and was only settled by the Supreme Court barely two months ago.
The former president of the Senate is one of the PDP members who promised no stand with the party and remained steadfast throughout the period of the trial.
The said that having just survived the phase, he was impressed by the renewed enthusiasm and commitment of members towards rebuilding the party after the protracted leadership tussle.
Mark, therefore, tasked the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa-led special convention committee not to leave any stone unturned to guarantee a hitch free exercise.
“We have come this far through a tortuous journey. We cannot afford to make another mistake that could affect the fortunes of the party in the days ahead,” he said.
Mark recalled his earlier pledge never to dump the party after the PDP lost to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 election.
He restated: “Even if I will be the last man standing in the PDP, I will remain in PDP. I have no reasons whatsoever to leave the party.
“I have risen to where I am on the platform of the party. The PDP has a manifesto and I believe in it.
“Those who are decamping from PDP to APC are fair weather friends of the party.
“So, the point I want to make is that I remain in PDP, and I will work hard with other faithful members to bring it back.
“This is democracy; there will always be a winner and a loser in every election. Both parties must accept the outcome in a free and fair contest and move on,” he said.