Politics
PDP Charges Governorship Candidates To Reconcile With Defeated Aspirants
National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Iyorchia Ayu has advised all its governorship candidates to reconcile with defeated aspirants before the 2023 governorship elections.
Ayu gave the advice while presenting Certificates of Return to the candidates.
He advised them to remember that many were called but few were chosen.
“You were chosen to be our flag bearers at the forthcoming elections. Everybody who contested with you was also chosen.
“You must carry every member of the defeated aspirants’ communities along because they contributed in mobilising and growing our party.
“I want to sincerely thank you for the work you put in. And we hope you will continue to work hard because this is just the first step,’’ Ayu told the candidates.
The chairman expressed the belief that the PDP would win governorship seats in 25 states at the 2023 general elections.
He said that the PDP was confident of retaining all its 13 states because its governors had performed very well.
Ayu added that the PDP had no fear that the people would vote PDP governors back to power and also vote for PDP where it does not currently have governors.
“We believe that the PDP will go back to his winning ways. When we started in 1999, we were able to produce 21 governors; we grew that number in 2003 to 28 and sustained it at 28 up to 2007.
“Unfortunately, we came through hard times and the number declined. Today we have only 13 governors. For a political party of this stature, that number is not good enough.
“All of you must, therefore, work very hard to reconcile with whoever opposed you, work with everybody, and carry everybody along.
“At the end of the day by next year, we should be able to come back to at least 25 governors,’’ the party leader said.
Ayu assured the PDP candidates that the party’s National Working Committee and all other stakeholders would give them the necessary support to emerge victorious.
Speaking at the ceremony, the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said it was evident that the PDP was the party Nigerians were waiting for.
Congratulating the gubernatorial candidates, Abubakar urged them to be united and work for the victory of PDP.
“I want to assure all of you that we will work together as a team and make sure you are all brought back elected as governors in your respective states.
“I will ensure that we work together as a team in every state of this country to enthrone a PDP government.
“The question of saying that we are going to give a quarter of the country or so to the ruling party must not arise in this election.
“The processes which have made you to emerge are now history; what is before us is a task that we must all unite and achieve for this party and for Nigerians,’’ Abubakar said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that all the party’s governorship candidates were issued their certificates of return, except for Ebonyi and Kano because of legal issues within the party in the states.
Those who received the certificates were Ladipupo Adebutu (Ogun), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi State), Seyi Makinde (Oyo State) and Ahmadu Fintri (Adamawa)
Others are Peter Mbah (Enugu State), Prof. Uche Ikonne (Abia), Oborevwori Sheriff (Delta), Pastor Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Siminialayi Fabura (Rivers) and Sandy Onor (Cross River).
Also issued with the certificates were Mohammed Sule-Lamido (Jigawa), Kefas Agbu (Taraba), Titus Uba (Benue), Sa’aidu Umar (Sokoto State), and Isa Ashiru (Kaduna State).
Governor Mohammed of Bauchi State, who spoke on behalf of other candidates, said they appreciated the party’s leaders, assuring of synergy at state level for the party to emerge victorious in 2023.
“We assure you that there will be no problem in all the states and we are going to work with you to make sure that Abubakar emerges as the president of Nigeria.
“We assure you there will be synergy. There will be cooperation. And we are going to work assiduously to make sure that our party emerges victorious at the various levels.
“We know we are in the opposition and we are not going to relent until we become the ruling party in our country, Nigeria,’’ Mohammed stressed.
The former two-term governor went down memory lane to recall how they founded the APC but were used and dumped.
In his words, “…those calling on us to join APC, we have agreed to join the APC but on clear agreement that protects and respects the interest of my party, NNPP and my political movement, Kwankwasiyya. No state where you go that you don’t have NNPP and Kwankwasiyya. We have gubernatorial candidates, senatorial candidates and others.
“We are ready to join APC under strong conditions and promises. We will not allow anyone to use us and later dump us.
“We were among the founding fathers of the APC and endured significant persecution from various security agencies while challenging the previous administration.
“Yet when the party assumed power, we received no recognition or appreciation for our sacrifices, simply because we didn’t originate from their original faction.
“We are not in a hurry to leave the NNPP; we are enjoying and have peace of mind. But if some want a political alliance that would not disappoint us like in the past, we are open to an alliance. Even if it is the PDP that realised their mistakes, let’s enter an agreement that will be made public,” Sen. Kwankwaso stated.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed long-standing claims that he once sought to extend his tenure in office, insisting he never pursued a third term.
Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Chief Obasanjo said there is no Nigerian, living or dead, who can truthfully claim he solicited support for a third term agenda.
“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian, dead or alive, that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term,” the former president declared.
Chief Obasanjo argued that he had proven his ability to secure difficult national goals, citing Nigeria’s debt relief during his administration as a much greater challenge than any third term ambition.
“I keep telling them that if I could get debt relief, which was more difficult than getting a third term, then if I wanted a third term, I would have got it too,” he said.
He further cautioned against leaders who overstay in power, stressing that the belief in one’s indispensability is a “sin against God.”
On his part, former President Goodluck Jonathan said any leader who failed to perform would be voted out of office if proper elections were conducted.
Describing electoral manipulation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa, he said unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform democracy, it may collapse in Africa.
He added that leaders must commit to the kind of democracy that guarantees a great future for the children where their voices matter.
He said: “Democracy in Africa continent is going through a period of strain and risk collapse unless stakeholders came together to rethink and reform it. Electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats in Africa.
“We in Africa must begin to look at our democracy and rethink it in a way that works well for us and our people. One of the problems is our electoral system. People manipulate the process to remain in power by all means.
“If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out. But in our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.
“Our people want to enjoy their freedoms. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want good education. Our people want security. They want access to good healthcare. They want jobs. They want dignity. When leaders fail to meet these basic needs, the people become disillusioned.”
The dialogue was also attended by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto diocese of Catholic Church among others who all stressed that democracy in Africa must go beyond elections to include accountability, service, and discipline.
The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday resumed plenary session after a six-month state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu elapsed on Wednesday midnight.
President Bola Tinubu had lifted the emergency rule on September 17, with the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly asked to resume duties on September 18.
The plenary was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, at the conference hall located within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The conference hall has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official chamber at the assembly complex on Moscow Road was torched and later pulled down by the state government.
The outgone sole administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas, could not complete the reconstruction of the assembly complex as promised.
Recall that on March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political standoff between Fubara and members of the House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
He subsequently suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and lawmakers for six months and installed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to manage the state’s affairs.
The decision sparked widespread controversy, with critics accusing the president of breaching the Constitution.
However, others hailed the move as a necessary and pragmatic step.
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