We’ll regain power in 2019 –PDP

Barely a month after its defeat by the All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday vowed to regain power in 2019. To achieve this, members of the National Working Committee and state chairmen of the party have resolved to work together. The APC won the March 28 and April 11 elections by producing Nigeria’s next President in the person of Muhammadu Buhari and a majority of the state governors. The APC also won most of the seats in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly. Rising from a meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, the NWC members led by the National Chairman of the party, Adamu Mua’zu, and the state chairmen agreed to adopt strategies towards winning the elections in 2019. The PDP’s resolve was contained in a joint statement issued at the end of the meeting by the Vice-Chairman of the party in the North-West, Ibrahim Kazaure, and the Benue State Chairman, Emmanuel Agbo. The statement read in part, “The meeting resolves to give all necessary support to the national leadership of the party under the chairmanship of Adamu Mu’azu to enable them to re-engineer and rebrand the party for the task of regaining power by 2019. “The meeting notes the outcome of the 2015 general elections and accordingly resolves not to allow the temporary setback affect the party’s contributions to the democratic development of the country. “The meeting notes and appreciates the patriotic stand taken by President Goodluck Jonathan after the elections as another milestone in the party’s contributions to peace, stability and progress of the nation.” The statement said that the meeting also decried what it called the “widespread anomalies and irregularities” that it said characterised the general elections in many states to the disadvantage of the PDP. It added that the party had resolved “to give full backing to the various pursuits of redress in this regard within the ambit of the law and tenets of democracy.” The meeting therefore directed all its candidates who believed that they were short-changed to channel their grievances through their state chairmen. It also agreed to resist “undue harassment, witch-hunt and any form of intimidation or undemocratic tendencies from the opposition aimed at bringing down members of the PDP psychologically.” It claimed that it had noted the subterranean moves by the APC to undermine the structures of the PDP across the country with the sinister motive of imposing a one-party state on the polity. The meeting cautioned Buhari against any action or inaction that could threaten or erode the gains of democracy and personal freedom that had been established in the last 16 years by the PDP. It added that the NWC members and the state chairmen resolved to galvanise the structures of the PDP and give full support to the party’s candidates for the supplementary governorship elections in Abia, Taraba and Imo states. According to the statement, the meeting also charged the Independent National Electoral Commission and other stakeholders involved in the supplementary elections to be forthright, transparent and ensure that the will of the people in the three states were not in any way subverted. The meeting resolved to set up special committees on the repositioning of the party. The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, refused to react to the PDP claims on Wednesday. Mohammed said the APC would not dignify the PDP’s boast with an answer. “No comment,” he said. Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission has inaugurated a 12-member committee to produce a comprehensive report on the general elections. At a brief ceremony at the commissions headquarters in Abuja, the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, urged the members of the committee to produce “an excellent report” before June 30, 2015, which marks the end of tenure of the present commission.” Jega, who asked the members of the committee to give their full commitment to the job ahead, assured them of his full support in order to facilitate effective execution of the assignment. The committee, which draws its membership from across INEC’s departments, is chaired by the National Commissioner in charge of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Chris Iyimoga. Responding, Iyimoga appreciated the commission for the opportunity to serve and expressed confidence that the members of the committee, given their pedigree, would produce an excellent report within the time frame given. Members of the committee are M.J Kuna, Okey Ndeche, the Chief Press Secretary to the chairman of the commission, Kayode Idowu; Nick Dazang, Chima Duruaku and Okechukwu Ibeanu.