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  • Dokpesi congratulates new PDP Chairman Secondus

    Dokpesi congratulates new PDP Chairman Secondus

    Chief Raymond Dokpesi, founder of Daar Communication, who contested the PDP National Chairmanship position and lost, has congratulated the winner, Prince Uche Secondus.

    Dokpesi, who had earlier faulted the process of the party’s National Convention held in Abuja on Saturday, declared that “the delegates have spoken”.

    “Ì appreciate the delegates for voting at the convention and congratulate the newly elected National Working Committee of the PDP led by Secondus.

    “You will recall that I said that the PDP must be the ultimate winner at the end of the contest.

    “God bless the Peoples Democratic Party. Congratulations PDP as I wish all our members the best of luck,” Dokpesi said.

    Meanwhile, the newly elected National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, has pledged that the party, under his watch, would adhere strictly to internal democracy with a deliberate policy to return ‘real’ power to the people.

    Secondus, who got 2,000 votes out of the 2,396 votes cast, in his acceptance speech on Sunday in Abuja, declared that the era of imposition and impunity was over.

    “With your mandate, I assure you that all necessary steps will be taken to avoid a repeat of our past mistakes.

    “We have to lean from our mistakes; by this convention, we are now set to forge a new path for our great party and Nigeria.

    “Under my watch, internal democracy will be strictly adhered to with a deliberate policy to return ‘real’ power to the people. No more imposition, no more impunity.

    “Every member of this party can, from this moment, consider him or herself, an equal shareholder in our common destiny,” he assured.

    He called on all Nigerians to embrace the new PDP and join its quest for a new Nigeria.

    He also called on old PDP members, who, for one reason or the other, left the party, to please come back ‘home’.

    Secondus called for the support of his co-contestants, especially the chairmanship aspirants, saying that they were all eminently qualified to lead the party.

    “I thank you for a worthy contest and for being part of history because this marks the first time a stiff contest of this magnitude is taking place toward producing the leadership of a political party in Nigeria.

    “You have every cause to stand tall and I now extend my hand of fellowship to you all. Let us rebuild, re-position and regain.”

    Secondus said that he was aware that the mandate given to him was to return PDP to power in 2019, and declared that the task was “herculean but achievable.”

    ” My campaign pillars for this election are to rebuild, re-position and regain. By the grace of God and with all hands on deck, the brief tenancy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Aso Rock Villa expires on May 28, 2019.”

    He said that PDP’s contributions to the growth and sustenance of democracy of Nigeria in the last 18 years were still there for all to see, adding that the best best way to celebrate the memories of the party’s founding fathers was to engage their ideals.

    Secondus commended the party members for offering him the opportunity to serve, and also lauded the courage of the outgoing National Caretaker Committee led by Sen. Ahmed Makarfi. (NAN)

  • Dokpesi: I represent new face of PDP

    Dokpesi: I represent new face of PDP

    Founder of Daar Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, said he represented the new face of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where political aspirations of members would be attained.

    Dokpesi, a national chairmanship aspirant of the party, stated this at a news conference in Owerri on Wednesday as he rounded off his nationwide campaign ahead of Saturday’s national convention of the party.

  • Dokpesi woos Ayade

    Dokpesi woos Ayade

    People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship aspirant Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, has appealed to Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade to back his bid.

    Dokpesi  visited the governor yesterday in Calabar and assured him of his resolve to reposition the PDP, if voted as chairman.

    “The purpose of my visit is to intimate you, as the leader of our party in Cross River, about my aspiration to serve as the national chairman of our great party, the PDP.

    “I am here to seek your support and the support of members of the party in Cross River.

    “You need a PDP chairman that shares in your vision and is ready to give necessary support and attract the federal government’s support for Cross River.

    “I want to be at the national PDP office, working closely with you to help actualise your vision of developing Cross River,’’ he said.

    Dokpesi, who described the 2015 general elections as a disaster for the party, said it was gladdening that Cross River remained a PDP State.

    “I congratulate you for this feat. It is time to look at why we fail and prepare ourselves for 2019.

    “We must get our party re-engineered, rebranded, rejuvenated and reconstructed in such a manner that we can get back the presidency.

    “In order to achieve this, we need a chairman of the party who is courageous, visionary and has the will and capacity to win the presidential election in 2019,” he said.

    Ayade lauded Dokpesi for using his media platforms — the AIT and Raypower FM — to promote activities of the Cross River government.

    The governor, who asked God to grant Dokpesi his heart desires, said that the aspirant spoke with indication that he was prepared to transform the PDP.

  • Sheriff cost us Ondo 2016 governorship poll – PDP

    Sheriff cost us Ondo 2016 governorship poll – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State said on Tuesday it lost the 2016 governorship election held in the state to the All Progressives Party (APC) due to the conspiracy of its former National Chairman, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff.

    The state Chairman of the party, Clement Faboyede, stated this while welcoming a National Chairmanship aspirant of PDP, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, to the party secretariat in Akure.

    Dokpesi was on a campaign tour to the state capital.

    Faboyede, who noted that PDP lost the election not because of its unpopularity but due to the protracted leadership tussle between Sheriff and the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee, Ahmed Makarfi.

    He lamented that there was no preparations for the election because of various litigations which deprived the party of opportunity to mobilise voters.

    He expressed optimism that the party would return to power in 2019.

    He also described Dokpesi as a loyal party man that deserves the position of PDP national chairman.

  • PDP will work for Nigeria’s unity – Dokpesi

    PDP will work for Nigeria’s unity – Dokpesi

    The Chairman of Daar Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, said on Monday that if voted as the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ), the party would work for greater unity of the country.

    Dokpesi stated this in Minna while soliciting for votes from Niger State delegates for the December 9 National Convention of the party.

    He said: “If elected as national chairman of PDP, our administration will work toward uniting the people of the country irrespective of tribe and religion.

    “I have come here again for the second time to plead with you to vote for me as the national chairman of our party, the PDP.

    “We will end the current divisive challenges being witnessed in our country today in order to ensure development.”

    Dokpesi condemned the 2016 national convention of the party in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where it could not produce a national chairman.

    “We will prevail against the impunity that made us lose credibility among our supporters.

    NAN

    Read Also: Dokpesi pledges fairness for presidential aspirants, if elected national chairman

  • PDP will not fail followers – Bafarawa

    PDP will not fail followers – Bafarawa

    A former governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Atahiru Bafarawa, said the Peoples’ Democratic Party ( PDP ) would not afford to fail its numerous followers at the Dec. 9 national convention.

    Bafarawa stated this in Sokoto on Sunday while receiving an aspirant of national chairmanship of the party, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, who was on a campaign visit to the state.

    He said that it was unfortunate that the party encountered crisis after its convention in Port Harcourt in 2016, noting that the party was on “intensive care” at that time.

    “Now that the party is out of the intensive care unit, there is need to put the party in order.

    “We stand at risk if we don’t put our house in order. We will fail our millions of followers who are in support of this great party.

    “Honestly, what we can do is to unite ourselves and pray to God to guide us to choose leaders who will lead our party,” Bafarawa said.

    The former governor said that the North-West was yet to take any decision on who to support for the national chairmanship position, noting that the people would make the decision.

    He described Dokpesi as a man of wisdom and experience, the criteria needed by the man who lead PDP as chairman.

    “We believe that God chooses leaders, and I know that you are qualified to aspire for any position in this party and country,” the former governor told the aspirant.

    Earlier, Dokpesi had said that he knew that Bafarawa was a man who loved and always wanted the best for his people, state and the country.

    At a meeting with state executive members and convention delegates of the party at the Secretariat, he said he was in the state to seek support of party members for his aspiration to lead PDP.

    Dokpesi pledged to work with the state executive committee and members to return PDP to power in Sokoto in 2019.

    Dokpesi was also in Gasau, where he met officials and delegates of the PDP in Zamfara.

    NAN

  • PDP chair: Dokpesi flays BoT members’ role

    PDP chair: Dokpesi flays BoT members’ role

    ONE of the aspirants in the race for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, has knocked some members of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) for campaigning for some of the chairmanship aspirants.

    Dokpesi, who accused the BoT members of trying to hijack the party ahead of the national convention, also faulted attempts by the BoT members in the Southwest to exclude some aspirants from the race.

    He called on members of the BoT wishing to become national chairman to first relinquish their seats in the BoT and join the race.

    Chief Bode George and Prof. Tunde Adeniran are two members of the BoT in the chairmanship race.

    Speaking at the party’s Abuja secretariat after returning his nomination papers, Dokpesi stressed the need for the PDP to have a chairman strong enough to lead the party to victory in the 2019 general elections.

    “Members of the BoT want to take over the party. Some people want to use the BoT to take over the day-to-day running of the party.

    “Members of the BoT have been going round with some aspirants. They have been meeting delegates and stakeholders of the party.

    Some of them (BoT members) smart as they are, are peddling rumours that the BoT has endorsed some aspirants as their choice of national chairman. But we know that the BoT has not met,” he said.

    Dokpesi said it’s wrong to exclude the aspirants without consulting them.

    In a document dated November 3 and signed by Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedokun, the Southwest BoT had cleared Chief Olabode George, Prof. Tunde Adeniran and Prof. Taoheed Adedoja for the race.

    Other aspirants like Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Alhaji Rashidi Ladoja, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, Mr. Akintayo Akin-Deko and Prof. Wale Oladipo were excluded from the race.

  • Dokpesi to submit form

    Dokpesi to submit form

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship aspirant Dr. Raymond Dokpesi will today submit his nomination form at the Wadata House PDP headquarters in Abuja, according to his spokesman Ide Eguabor.

  • PDP chair: Drama as Dokpesi drums up support for George

    PDP chair: Drama as Dokpesi drums up support for George

    THE race for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman took a dramatic turn yesterday as one of the aspirants, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, openly drummed support for a rival aspirant, Chief Olabode George.

    Dokpesi had made a dramatic appearance at George’s campaign office in the highbrow Maitama, Abuja, where the latter was having an interactive session with his supporters and other stakeholders.

    The media mogul, who arrived midway into the event, swapped his traditional cap with George’s branded campaign fez cap, with the bold inscription ‘BG’ (Bode George) embossed on the cap.

    Describing George as a man that had made invaluable contributions and services to the Nigerian project, Dokpesi said he was at the event to give full solidarity to a fellow aspirant.

    Dokpesi said: “Let me thank Chief George not only for his contributions to the PDP but also for his services to Nigeria.

    “My presence here is to give full solidarity to Olabode George. We rose from a meeting yesterday and we agreed that this contest is going to be a family affair.

    “He is a team player, very courageous.  In 2019, we cannot succeed without the support of Bode George or any of the other aspirants.”

    George, who addressed his supporters before Dokpesi’s arrived at the venue, assured that he would be a team player, if given the chance to lead the party.

  • PDP national chairman not zoned to Southwest, says Dokpesi

    PDP national chairman not zoned to Southwest, says Dokpesi

    A national chairmanship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, has said the party did not zone the position to the Southwest,  but to the South.

    He spoke yesterday in Nasarawa, Nasarawa State.

    “I think the media is helping in confusing the matter regarding the national chairmanship position of our party, PDP, as there was no time the leadership of the party at the national level zoned the chairmanship position to anybody.

    “Chairman of caretaker committee made it clear that as the Presidency is zoned to the three geo-political zones in the North for 2019, so national chairmanship is zoned to the three geo-political zones in the South.

    “That is the position that will be sustained and maintained till the convention in Port Harcourt.

    “I am contesting for this chairmanship position to unite members of the party so the party can come out stronger and victorious in 2019,’’ he said.

    Dokpesi said PDP was the only party that could provide support as well as make Nigeria’s economy stable and great.

    He urged Nigerians to support the party for the development of the country.