Bayelsa State  Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would bring about the desired change Nigerians are yearning for in 2023.
Governor Diri also advocated the strengthening of the party from national to the state level in order to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the centre in the next general election.
He stated this during a meeting with the executive of the PDP South-South zone in Government House, Yenagoa.
In a press release by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, the governor noted that PDP was the only reliable alternative party that could provide purposeful leadership at this point in time.
Senator Diri, who decried the worsening insecurity in the country, pointed out that Nigeria was sliding downwards on a daily basis and it behoves on the party to rescue the nation.
“Nigeria is ripe enough for change. We have experienced the change that the APC brought and now it is time to change the change.  Today, there is insecurity and killings in almost every part of the country and Nigeria is sliding downwards on a daily basis”, he said.
“PDP is the only veritable and reliable alternative party for now. So, you and I have been given the mandate to rescue this nation. We have the best times to bounce back to the national scene.Our appeal is that the APC should allow the people to determine who becomes their president in 2023. We don’t want Nigeria to go down”, he added.
Senator Diri also cautioned that the party and country’s interest should be placed above personal considerations in the choice of a presidential candidate, noting that political power should be utilised to positively impact lives as it was ephemeral.
On the proposed use of electronic registration for party members, he urged the zonal leadership to prevail on the national leadership to kickstart the process.
While commending the zonal leadership for its role in getting Edo State back into the PDP fold, Diri said South-South would remain a stronghold of the party.
While highlighting some of the key projects being undertaken by his administration, particularly in the area of road infrastructure in the last one year, he assured that they would be ready for commissioning next February.
The projects include, construction of the Yenagoa-Oporoma and Sagbama-Ekeremor senatorial roads, construction of a media complex to accommodate the state-owned radio, television and newspaper outfits, establishment of technical colleges, renovation of schools among others.
In his remarks, the PDP National Vice Chairman, South-South, Chief Dan Orbih, commended the Diri administration for enhancing the state’s security architecture with the provision of operational vehicles.
Chief Orbih, who expressed concern over the security situation in the country, urged the governor to collaborate with his colleagues in the zone to put in place a security network to protect lives and property.
He also applauded the development strides of the governor in the area of infrastructure development, noting that the achievements of the PDP governors would boost the party’s campaign strategies.
Orbih, however, condemned in strong terms the recent nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari of a known APC member as commissioner in the Independent National Electoral Commission, describing the development as a threat to the country’s democracy.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa