By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, in collaboration with former Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue , Ifeanyi Uguanyi of Enugu, and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia States on Monday hosted stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from the 36 states under the umbrella of
the “Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP”to a strategic meeting to foster ways of salvaging the party from “death”.
The stakeholders have gathered with a resolution not to allow the party to die.
Other prominent stakeholders at the meeting were the National Secretary of the PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; former Senate Minority Leader, Philip Aduda; serving and former federal and state lawmakers, some zonal and state party executives, among other members.
Wike while addressing the gathering that the concerned stakeholders are those who have always believed and who still believe in the survival of the party.
“All of you here are those who are committed to the survival of our party, not just on TV talking or in the newspapers talking but committed to the party at the various levels.”
“Today, this country is stabilized because of the activities of the G5 Governors. You may like us you may hate us. The truth of the matter is if G5 did not take the decision we took, this country would have been in crisis. It doesn’t matter who the beneficiary was, but the right thing had to be done, and we still stand by that decision.”
“If the party had listened to what we said, we won’t have been where we are today, and we have continued to sound it to the party, let the constitution of the party and of the country be respected.”
” That, as an opposition party, we cannot continue to act with impunity. No opposition party acts with impunity. Ours is to continue to placate people and bring them together, not to say that they should go to hell.”
“Let us not allow greed, let us not allow ego to kill our party”, Wike warned.
He wondered why the fixation with impunity on the position of national secretary, said Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba state was the chairman of the party in the state and that he did not resign before contesting for Governorship but only went back to resign after winning the election.
He said the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ibrahim Abdullahi, also contested for the Kebbi state governorship and that he retained his seat even after losing the election.
However, Dr. Ortom noted that he who pays the piper dictates the tune. He challenged anyone in Nigeria to tell Nigerians whoever has contributed to the growth of the PDP more than Wike.
According to Ortom, Mr. President understands that the country cannot be a one-party state, and so he appointed Wike into a very sensitive position as the FCT minister.
“For whatever reason, PDP made many mistakes, and we are where we are today”, he said.
Meanwhile, the stakeholders had a closed door meeting ere was a closed door meeting with an expectation of coming out with a communiqué.
End
