PDP Plans Automatic Ticket For Performing Governors

Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State (right) exchanging pleasantries with King Prof. T.J.T Princewill, the Amanyanabo of Kalabari Kingdom, during the Governor’s Town Hall meeting in Buguma, Asari -Toru Local Government Area, last Friday.

National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, has assured performing state Governors of the party’s support and backing ahead of the 2011 general elections.

“Such governors are assets to the party and must be given all the necessary support as they fit into the new re-engineering aimed at restoring the old glory of the party,”he said

Dr. Nwodo said that the party would stand behind any governor whose performance in delivery of democracy dividends to the people meet the PDP manifesto.

A statement from Nwodo’s spokesman Ike Abonyi last Saturday, said the National Chairman spoke at the fund-raising and foundation laying ceremony of the Katsina PDP State Secretariat in Katsina.

Addressing a mammoth crowd of PDP supporters that included Governor Ibrahin Shema of Katsina State and two Deputy Governors of Kaduna and Jigawa States as well as the former National Chairman of the party, Chief Solomon Lar and the Minister of Women Affairs, Chief Josephine Anenih, Nwodo said “performing governors should have nothing to fear because the PDP would be behind them.

He said that performing governors were the type the party needed to win elections because of their popularity with the people.

The National Chairman showered praises on Governor Shema, saying that he was the type that had utilised the peoples mandate given to him very well. “Governor Shema has done the impossible in performance; he has built roads, given free education to Katsina people, built hospitals and established a modern University, Nwodo declared.

Dr. Nwodo said that the State secretariat being constructed by Katsina PDP was in line with the dream of the founding fathers that a well structured political party be established for Nigerian people.

He said that he would want all the states in the federation including the FCT to have a good secretariat as Katsina.

Nwodo praised Katsina people for their support for PDP especially for giving the party’s late President Umaru Musa Yar Adua their support and for supporting the incumbent President Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

He said that it was only the PDP that could take this country from its developing status to the status of a developed nation, pointing out that “PDP is the party of hope”.

The highlight of the occasion was the foundation laying ceremony of the new party secretariat by Dr Nwodo supported by the Governor and Chief Lar. Over N300million was realised at the fund- raising.