By Sadiq Umar
Some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) converged in Abuja Monday to chart the way forward and reposition the party, which was displaced by the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the last general elections.
The meeting organized by ‘Restart PDP Project’ identified challenges that contributed to the failure of the party in the 2015 general elections and called for a conceited effort of all to wrestle power from the APC.
Top functionaries of the party at the event held at the Peoples Democratic Institute, including Senator Ahmed Maikarfi, Minister of Environment in the last dispensation, Mrs. Lauretia Mallam, Hon. Uba Fali, Chief Obinna Nwaneri amongst others identified lack of internal democracy, imposition of candidates, intra-party crisis and poor reward system as some of the problems that the party faced countdown to the last elections and made a call for the once ruling party to be repositioned along the tenets of democracy.
In his address, convener of the group, Engr. Emmanuel Nwosu, said that they have come up with a blueprint to reposition PDP and make it acceptable to all members irrespective of status.
Addressing journalists before a closed door session, Nwosu informed the journalists that the blueprint has being distributed to key leaders of the party including the members of the NWC, saying that anybody who is honest about the PDP getting back to power will support this. The NWC has received our report and almost every leader of this party has a copy and we have not had one single dissenting voice. I believe that the NWC is in tandem with us.
Butches explained that the party had learnt lessons from its past mistakes, noting that impunity and imposition of candidates were part of the things that derailed the PDP and made it lose the 2015 general election.
He expressed confidence that the party would rise again, adding that the PDP was ready to bring on board the virtues and values that made it rule Nigeria for 16 years.
