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Tag: Party

  • APC chief urges Buhari to save party now

    APC chief urges Buhari to save party now

    A former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said President Muhammadu Buhari must intervene to fix the crisis in the party and save it from disintegration.

    Baba-Ahmed made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Sunday.

    According to him, the problems affecting the party have been left to linger for too long and must be settled in the next few months, if the party hopes to retain power in 2019.

    “Even if you can forgive some of the crisis and blame it on in experience, you cannot forgive the fact that we have tolerated this crisis for too long.

    “They have persisted, and that is not something we should excuse, we should not also excuse the existence of massive problems in states and at the national level.

    “Those who have the responsibility of fixing the APC as a political platform are not fixing it.

    “It is what we are seeing now; a large number of powerful people within APC are walking away from it, thinking that it is beyond redemption.

    “That is unfortunate and I think it is a major setback for the party.

    “The APC must reinvent itself and rediscover its mission to lead this country, not through a one term presidency or governance, but to actually build a different Nigeria that will meet the yearnings of our children and beyond.”

    Baba-Ahmed stressed that the internal crisis had also affected governance, thereby, making it imperative for the President to quickly intervene and resolve all contending issues within the party.

    “Of course when a party is in a problem like this, a number of things happen; governance suffers because you are constantly having your attention diverted by the party’s problems.

    “Secondly, in political terms, four years of an administration is only like two years or two and half years.

    “In a year’s time, we will not be talking about governing this country, we will be talking about campaign for 2019.

    “And if this party doesn’t fix itself at the national level, doesn’t fix all the problems it has in the states, it is unlikely to come back to Nigerians with the confidence it came to us in 2014 /2015, to say give us another mandate.

    “If we are not careful the only thing of value and credibility that we can say to Nigerians that is still relatively intact in the APC will be President Buhari.

    “And President Buhari more than anybody else, knows that his personality and character alone cannot win him an election.

    “He needs a political platform that can mobilize people to support him, and right now, that political platform is disintegrating.

    “He needs to do something about it, he needs to allow the party to work together, he needs to ask a lot of people to fix the problems of the party.”

    Baba-Ahmed expressed the belief that the problems of the APC were surmountable if the leadership work hard to fix all the underlying issues.

    “I am not one of the people who thinks the future is outside APC, I believe that APC can be salvaged.

    “We will need to apologise to people for mistakes made and reassure them that the first four years of the Buhari administration may not have met all the expectations of the people, but if they give our party another chance for the next four years, we will be able to fix this country.”

  • APC suspends Timi Frank

    APC suspends Timi Frank

    The South South zonal Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday announced the suspension of the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Timi Frank from the party.
    Announcing the suspension, the National Vice Chairman in charge of the Zone, Ntufam Hilliard Eta said the zonal leadership of the party will recommend the expulsion of Comrade Timi Frank from the party to the National Executive Committee in accordance with the party constitution.
    Eta said: I received the report of the disciplinary committee setup to look into the allegations of embarrassing utterances and anti-party activates by Mr Timi Frank, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of this party. Incidentally, he’s from Bayelsa in the South South zone.
    “In furtherance of satisfying the provision of the constitution of the APC, I had to call for this emergency meeting of the zone and after very exhaustive deliberation, the zone has arrived at the confirmation of the disciplinary committee’s report that one, Mr Timi Frank be suspended from the party forthwith in line with article 1 (d) and (f). Having been accepted by this house, Mr Timi Frank hereby stands suspended by this party.
    “Number two, this zonal committee shall recommend to the National Executive Committee for the expulsion of Timi Frank from this party in line with Article 21 D, H (2 and 3) of our constitution. This is the resolution of the South South Zonal Executive Committee.”
    Eta dismiss claims that the zonal executive committee was hasty in suspending Timi Frank inspite of efforts by the APC Governors forum to reconcile the warring parties.
    He said “the tenet of our party’s constitution stipulates that petitions should be swiftly treated. Concerning what the Chairman of the governor’s forum is doing, it is not in conflict with the party maintaining discipline within its ranks and file, it is not running at opposite direction. We are attempting to grow our party, it does not therefore mean that we’ll not be alive to our responsibilities with regard to maintaining a disciplined membership of the party.”
    On whether the party may reverse its decision if the man in question apologise, he said if that is provided for in the party’s constitution, the zonal executive committee may be compelled to look at that matter from that perspective.
    He said further that despite Frank’s claim that the zonal executive committee lacks the constitutional power to prosecute him, he cited the Article 21 of the party’s constitution saying “the party shall have power to discipline party members, the power shall be exercise on behalf of the party by the respective executive committee of the party at all levels.
    “Timi Frank is a member of the NEC, a member of the ZEC and a member of Local Executive Committee and State Executive Committee and World Executive Committee, any of these executive committees can look into petitions against any member including myself.
    “This constitution is radically different from the constitutions of parties that have preceded us. A lot of Nigerians assume that all political parties have the same constitution, ours is not the same as operated by the PDP, APGA or any other party out there so you must internalize the content of this constitution.I have heard him (Timi Frank) make some assertions but I know they are not in our constitution.”

  • APC candidates and party loyalty

    Upon the formation of All Progressives Congress (APC), ahead of the 2015 polls, not many Nigerians gave the party chance of survival talk less of winning the 2015 polls. For this obvious reason and typical of the Nigerian political class, some founding fathers of the party suddenly jumped ship to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2015 polls. Also some visionary PDP members who were fed up with the PDP’s misrule and saw prospects in the APC willingly defected to the APC.

    This development never deterred these APC faithful, who truly and genuinely believed in the party’s philosophy and manifesto. Theirs were that having worked so hard to form the party, it was of no use dumping the party at the middle of the road. This was a true mark of party loyalty that is uncommon among Nigerian politicians.

    With General Muhammadu Buhari’s emergence as the party’s presidential candidate, these loyal party members and candidates doubled their efforts to ensure the victory of the party at all levels. At the end, their inputs paid off with APC’s presidential victory at polls against the ruling PDP, which is the first of its kind in the country’s political history.

    Coming on the altar of the change mantra, expectations and hopes were high among the APC faithful, having worked so hard for the party’s victory. Disappointedly and right from the onset of President Buhari’s government, it appeared the government had quickly forgotten how party loyalty and hard work by committed party members gave the party victory at the poll.

    Obviously, initial appointments by the government indicated that party loyalty has been exchanged for comradeship. Eyebrows were raised, but government spin-doctors defended the action, arguing that it was too early for party loyalists to complain of being abandoned or side-lined.

    These loyalists, especially the House of Representatives candidates that lost their elections as wounded warriors endured and persevered, hoping that things will get better. Unfortunately, almost two years down the lane, the trend has not changed.

    In view of this, many concerned party leaders have expressed their fears and worries over the development, which is unprecedented in party politics in Nigeria. They alleged that the APC-led government has been ambushed and hijacked by few individuals that contributed nothing in the party’s victory at the polls.

    One of Buhari’s long-time political allies and one of the founding fathers of the APC, Alhaji Buba Galadima complained bitterly over the development in his recent interview in The Guardian newspaper of September 18.

    Galadima said: “Up till now PDP is intact and about 99 percent of the offices of 557 agencies of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and even the political appointments by our APC government are PDP members. These people were not known to have participated in bringing this government into office.”

    Appeared to be worst hit by this development are APC House of Representatives candidates that lost their elections in their constituencies to the PDP desperate machineries and other unforeseen circumstances beyond their control.

    The group, which operates under the guise of Forum of All Progressives Congress (APC) 2015 House Of Representatives Candidate (APC 2015 HORC) is made up of renowned professionals or accomplished politicians. They are the closest to the grassroots in terms of their reach, number and strength. Currently, they are made up of 135 members and have continued to carry the banner of the party in their respective constituencies.

    Truly, they came together on realisation of the need to encourage each other to keep the flame of APC burning and the party’s flag flying in their respective federal constituencies, in order to overcome the setback suffered by the party in losing the federal seats of those constituencies and to checkmate the impact of the loss in future elections with a view to recovering those seats for the party in the next available opportunity.

    They have also expressed their satisfaction with the way and manner the President has piloted the affairs of the nation since assumption of office and congratulated him on the landmark accomplishments so far recorded especially in the areas of security, anti-corruption, diversification of the economy and management. So also is the President’s handling of anti-terrorism efforts in the North East and militancy in the Niger Delta and elsewhere in the country. The recent release of about 21 Chibok girls by Boko Haram, they see as a crowning glory to President’s effective approach to the challenge of Boko Haram insurgency.

    They have equally expressed confidence in the ability of the President and capacity of the APC’s federal government to pull the nation out of the current economic recession and wholly endorsed the economic policies and palliative measures put in place by the President to tackle the current economic challenges.

    Prominent members of the 135-member forum include its chairman, Musa Danjuma Goyo, Secretary Chibuzor Obiakor. Others include former members of the 6th and 7th House of Representatives.

    All members of the forum have paid and still paying their dues in the APC, despite the situation on ground. That no doubt is clear mark of undiluted party loyalty that deserves recognition, considering that party politics anywhere in the world do not only encourage loyalty, but reward loyalty appropriately and handsomely. That is what Buba Galadima, Rochas Okorocha, Bisi Akande, and other party stakeholders are clamouring for in the party, before it becomes too late.

     

    • Dr. Agaba, a development expert wrote from Wuse, Abuja

  • Many troubles of the ruling party

    The emerging crisis in the house of the All Progressive Congress is a matter of concern to all well-meaning Nigerians, not just because it affects a party many gave their all to see win the 2015 General Elections, but mainly because the way it is playing out, the crisis has a potential to launch Nigeria into a war we can hardly afford and which we really do not need.

    But before looking at the possible long term effect of the personality clash that unfortunately has come to shape the political character of the ruling party, the first challenge created by the crisis is in its effect on the testimony of the APC as a party that has come to salvage Nigeria from her exposure to the years of the vultures.

    Many express concern, perhaps, rightly so, that if this life time opportunity to fix Nigeria is again frittered away through impunity and subversion of the rule of law, which are worst forms of corruption, another opportunity might not come in this generation. This was why Nigerians defied the primordial ethnic, religion and regional sentiments to vote for change. President Muhammadu Buhari represents the real face of change.

    We all voted for APC; we all gave our best to the party when it was in opposition because many Nigerians saw, or perhaps, thought they saw in APC a party that could replace the PDP that had been bedeviled with impunity. It was that culture of impunity which did not give consideration to the feelings and opinions of others apart from a clique that had surrounded the topmost leadership of the party that Nigerians were rejecting when they voted APC. We must not go back to that era.

    But given the way the party handled a number of contentious issues such as the selection of ministerial nominees, the Ondo gubernatorial primary, the Kogi State election and now the ambassadorial nominees, many people have not only began to fear things might not have really changed for us except the change in the party slogan.

    And the situation has now been made worse by the open altercation between Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a National Leader of the party and some interests within the party using Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, APC National Chairman as a lab rat.

    Although the crisis is festering to the delight of the opposition, it is my considered opinion that the situation can still be salvaged in the interest of our dear nation.

    APC leaders need to sit down and look themselves squarely in the face and accept that they have made critical mistakes but that things can still be corrected with humility and determination. And the first step will be to correct itself over the errors that have been committed in the National Assembly. The unnecessary bickering that was allowed over the choice of its leaders was totally uncalled for in a party that promised fairness and justice as the hallmark of its ideology.

    As such, all steps taken so far against those who emerged as natural leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives should be reversed. I think this is the sense in which even leaders of the APC such as former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Tinubu along with other stakeholders have commended the withdrawal of the forgery case against Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.

    The National Assembly issue remains a political crisis that should have been settled in the court of politics and not the steps being taken simply to embarrass the leadership of the National Assembly. The strategy has, however, rather than achieve its intended objective, created a strong pillar of a united third force within the party that is ostensibly able to work with the opposition to the detriment of the ruling party.

    The same error of strategy is being committed in the way the party is going about the Tinubu challenge. Imagine that they want to try the party’s National Leader for ‘anti-party activities’! Which party? The party he almost singlehandedly formed and only invited others to queue? Should a visitor invited to dine and wine, hold the hands of the host? What an irony! But the spider that attempt to prevent the elephant from having its way shall move with the elephant. Asiwaju, the master strategist, has fought and won bigger battles for democracy. As the last man standing, he weathered the storm of more ferocious adversaries.

    Already just as it happened in the Saraki case, Tinubu might have been garnering support from hitherto political foes which definitely will create more problems for the ruling party. To have the likes of Tinubu and Saraki as internal opposition is not something a serious party should celebrate.

    It was Saraki that cried out about impunity then in the ruling PDP, the rest is history. Now it is Tinubu that, like Saraki, has begun to cry out about impunity within the APC. The party should be careful not to give room to another internal rebellion that will break its backbone before 2019.

    This is not what our people sacrificed to get in 2015 and that is why men of influence and political capital within the party should have a rethink about their respective positions on the crisis and come together to save the APC. It is law of natural justice that those who participated in the baking of the cake must know how it is shared. It is not too late yet.

     

    • Oba is Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Kwara State.
  • Alakija plans jaw-dropping party for son’s wedding

    Alakija plans jaw-dropping party for son’s wedding

    For billionaire businesswoman Folorunsho Alakija, the days leading up to Saturday, November 19, 2016 is a very important date.  That is the day her beloved son, Folarin, is billed to get married to the love of his life, Naganin Khosro, at an exquisite event scheduled for the Grand Ball Room of Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The Forbes-acclaimed richest woman in Africa is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that her son’s wedding lives up to its billing as a spectacular, jaw-dropping event. Plans are already in place to ensure the introduction and engagement ceremony at the Grand Ball Room go without a hitch. The reception which will follow immediately is sure to feature the very best of local, western and oriental dishes.

  • Party: delegates’ list for primary not doctored

    Party: delegates’ list for primary not doctored

    ONDO State All Progressives Congress has dismissed as untrue, the news in some quarters that the delegates’ list used to conduct its governorship primary election at the weekend was doctored.

    The party hailed the Primary Election Committee headed by Jigawa State Governor Muhammed Abubakar for conducting a free, fair, transparent and credible governorship primary election.

    A statement by the party’s spokesman, Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya, said: “We are satisfied with the conduct of the primary election. The process of accreditation of delegates separated into three senatorial zones and the arrangements at the voting centre was commendable.”

    It lauded the patience and conduct of the delegates from accreditation till the end of voting that lasted for several hours, saying: “It was unprecedentedly peaceful with no record of violence or crisis.”

    The statement added: “We appreciate the security agencies for the professionalism displayed during the election.

    “The party applauds the aspirants for their show of sportsmanship displayed towards Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), when he was declared as the winner and returned as the candidate of the party for the forthcoming November 26 poll.

    “We reject the insinuations been peddled in some quarters that the delegates’ list used to conduct the governorship primary election was doctored. This allegation is unfounded and untrue.

    “The delegates’ list has been in existence and was used to conduct the primaries of the 2015 State House of Assembly and National Assembly elections.

    “We appeal to all our party members and supporters across the state, our esteemed aspirants and leaders to embrace the party’s candidate, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, in the interest of our great party (APC) and the general interest of the state by shelving personal agenda that may derail our collective goal of winning the November 26th election. There is No victor, no vanquish!”

     

  • Party mocks Jegede’s economic blueprint

    Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised the economic blueprint of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN)

    Jegede’s blueprint promised to initiate policies that will make the state less dependent on Federal Allocation.

    He said the state would disconnect financially from the centre, stressing that the industrial base would be created in the Ondo southern belt, with Ilaje Free Trade Zone as his priority.

    But the APC described the statement as nothing but an attempt to hoodwink the citizenry, who it said are groaning due to maladministration of the Governor Olusegun Mimiko-led administration for the past eight years.

    A statement by the APC Director of Media and Publicity, Steve Otaloro, said: “We consider this comment as a tasteless political rhetoric coming from the PDP governorship candidate.

    “The people of Ondo State are used to comment like this from Eyitayo’s godfather, Governor Mimiko, who promised to transform the land and lives of the southern senatorial district’s people and indeed Ondo State while seeking their votes, but dumped them after securing their mandate.”

  • ‘Abraham did not sponsor thugs to party secretariat’

    A report that the governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo state,  Olusegun Abraham, sponsored thugs to disrupt a protest at the party’s secretariat has been debunked. The Director-general of the Olusegun Abraham Campaign organization, Prince Olu Adegboro said the report is  false and ridiculous.

    Adegboro described the report “ a desperate lie aimed at berating a finished work. Firstly, Olusegun Abraham is not a violent man at all, a very sophisticated man focused on the ideology of peace, a loyal party man who will never subscribe to the option of violence at any instance. So, any spurious report bandied around by some desperados is simply false and ridiculous; and is aimed at distracting the entire delegates from focusing on a free, fair and credible primary election”.

    He recalled that a pocket of aggrieved party memebers 4 laid siege on the party’s secretariat on Monday to express their displeasure over the rumours of candidate imposition by a national leader of the party.

    Adegboro noted that the rumour turned out to be false, as the APC National headquarters has insisted in a statement that the primary election will be free, fair and credible.

    The Olusegun Abraham Campaign Organisation absolved its principal from thuggery. It said: “Olusegun Abraham is a longstanding progressive loyalist who will never contribute to any anti-party activity that will dent the party in anyway or deny the unity of the party. Olusegun Abraham remains focused on the upcoming free, fair and transparent primary election that will be conducted the our great party in Ondo state”.

     

  • Party galore at Oniba’s palace

    Party galore at Oniba’s palace

    Following weekend’s release of the Oniba of Iba, Oba Yishau Goriola Oseni, his family members yesterday organised a party to entertain guests and vwell-wishers who througed the palace.

    Outside the palace, some youths dance to the music from two giant loudspeakers that had hurriedly been mounted.

    Some of the excited were half naked, saved their boxers, and shorts, clutching varying brands of bottles of beer amid the party spree.

    “Our Oniba is back’ shouted one of them as he raised his beer brands triumphantly with his left hand, while using the right to wave at the traditional rulers decked in white, who had just alighted from a white jeep and were at the threshold of the palace. Their mission: to confirm and facilitate with the monarch who rejoined his family after being away on kidnappers’ den for three weeks.

    The fear and anxiety which had hitherto hovered over the palace since Oniba was abducted by unknown gunmen on Saturday July 16, suddenly gave way to banters and hugs yesterday. From time to time, members of the monarch family could be seen coming to thank guests and other visitors seated in appreciation for standing by them in their moment of grief.

    Similarly, religious leaders and traditionalist who had earlier visited the palace to offer intercessory prayers ahead of the monarch release were also on hand and in large numbers yesterday to raise their voices in thanking God for safe return of the monarch.

    Most of the vehicles in the premises had been ordered out to pave way for space for visitors that continued to surge on and off the palace. Young boys in their teens could be sighted moving in carts bearing bunches of plastic chairs. More canopies and chairs were being brought in and mounted by young boys in frenetic fashion.  Another group of young boys moved in carts containing firewood. They were being shepherded to a small opening at the rear of the palace where a fat cow had just been slaughtered and about to be butchered by three hefty men. Celebrations are indeed in the air!

    One of the monarch wives Alhaja Nofisat Idowu Oseni thanked everyone including the media for identifying with the family.

    “I’m on top of the world! My joy knows no limit,” she told The Nation yesterday.

    She continued: “We thank the people who sympathised with us and assisted us in cash and kind. I cannot say specifically the amount paid as ransom. The family made the arrangement. I do not even know those who liaised (with abductors). You know we are housewives. But I must say it was not easy raising that amount.”

    The family spokesperson Saheed Oseni said following the release of their breadwinner, a new security measure to the palace is underway.

    “We shall do that (restructure security) soonest. For now, we just want Kabiyesi to fully recover. Family members are already meeting over that,” he said.

  • Party in need and man without baggage

    What qualifies me to write about a political party and in this case the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)?

    Firstly; I was not just a founding member of the PDP in 1998, but indeed one of the six founding convenors of the party in Imo State in 1998; there were two convenors from each Senatorial District and late Senator EmekaEcheruo and my humble self were the two from Okigwe Zone.

    Secondly; I subscribe to the view that for our democracy in Nigeria to survive, we need a very strong and credible opposition party in order to keep the ruling party on its toes and ensure accountable governance and sustainable development in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic Nigeria.

    Thirdly; the gravitas of the leadership of an opposition party determines its credibility and even momentum and capacity to be considered and perceived as another government in waiting or a shadow government as my friends in the United Kingdom will call it.

    Fourthly; I am now a member of a party in opposition (which is the opposite of not being in government) and I believe that for the opposition flank to muster, a leader from the biggest opposition party which is PDP must have respectability and must be bereft of political baggage.

    Finally, I have looked at the field of contestants for the post of the national chairmanship of the PDP and if you put in perspective the ongoing internecine debilitating warfare between the Makarfi Caretaker Committee and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, you don’t need a soothsayer or Nostradamus to tell you that the last thing a party like PDP needs now is another “Strong Man”; what the party needs is a man with pedigree, excellent education; high name recognition, and absolutely no reputational or political baggage.

    If you consider the field of aspirants for the national chairmanship, you will find that many of the seasoned “political heavyweights” are flaunting sheer hubris; people who matter are waiting for PDP to make the final mistake and bury itself forever by presenting another “big man” in the mould of Ali Modu Sheriff and chant its Nunc Dimittis, yes a dirge will be sung for PDP if it does not make the right choice at the Port Harcourt convention holding this August.

    Historically, PDP is marinated in impunity and imposition and I bear first-hand eye witness testimony; this was entrenched by then President Obasanjo; in circa 2001, I was on the threshold of becoming the National Secretary of the PDP at its National Convention in Abuja; when two days to the convention, Obasanjo ordered his then Minister for Economic Planning; Chief Vincent Ogbulafor who was then, still a member of ANPP (the party nominated him to the cabinet) to come and become the National Secretary, even before he joined the PDP. I still continued my campaign; when the recently deceased Chief OjoMaduekwe CFR saw the intensity of my campaign, he called me and said; “Ziggy why are you stressing yourself?The Convention tomorrow will not be an election but a coronation”. Alas; a coronation it became; even though I refused and rejected all offers and entreaties to withdraw, I attended the party’s screening and insisted I would be on the ballot to see the result of my efforts. At the convention ground, I was given the seat as a candidate, but my name was not even announced or mentioned as a challenger/candidate; Vincent Ogbulafor was returned “unopposed”, and that continued to be a recurring trend all through the Obasanjo era. That was quintessential PDP.

    Now, with the “lesson” Sheriff is teaching the party, I am sure that the hierarchs, aka the governors and other “powerful” members must know that the days of impunity should be over.

    To rescue, revitalize, re-energize, reposition, reorient, reinvigorate and re-vision PDP, the party needs a chairman whose persona and aura exudes HOPE and Renaissance; he must be charismatic; of sound repute and professional pedigree; his name must resonate with men of goodwill as an apostle of truth even in the quagmire of Nigerian politics; PDP needs a man of sterling integrity; a man the people can trust; I even dare say that Nigerian politics of today in order to engender hope must have men of such character leading all the parties, I believe that what PDP requires in a national chairman is that man whom even other opposition parties apparatchik and leaders can count on to give inspirational direction while the parties are in the shadow of the party in power.

    I am a member of the Board of Trustees of APGA; and I have no intention now or in the future to abandon my own party which I know is the most appealing brand in the South-east where my political constituency lies and a party I know to be the default choice of every Igbo man; and as every politics is local I  hold unto APGA which has expanded beyond its niche Igboland frontiers and become a veritable platform of choice in diverse places and constituencies like in Nassarawa State; FCT Abuja, Taraba and even Sokoto. But we are in opposition and as opposition goes, there must be some unanimity within the opposition flank except the party in power expands its embrace in a veritable Government of National Unity, which APC of today has absolutely no interest in.

    For those who might not know the leading aspirants within the fold of the PDP for the position of national chairman are all formidable in their individual rights and would ordinarily give a good account of themselves if put in that position; men like Chief Bode George; Alegho Raymond Dokpesi; Professor Tunde Adeniran, JimiAgbaje; Prince UcheSecondus and others are quite accomplished and have a lot going for them; but only one man; one man only has the gifts to alter the public perception of PDP as a Fuji House of Commotion, a bedlam and a congregation of those who ruled and “destroyed” Nigeria in the last 16 years.

    If the narrative of PDP as told by APC and other opponents must change, then a man who never participated in the PDP government and governance yet remained a leading light of that party must lead it. Only JimiAgbaje can give this leadership at a time like this; a Fellow of the Nigerian Pharmaceutical Society and governorship cof the PDP in 2015 elections where he led the party to win National and State House of Assembly seats; the Jury is still out about what actually happened in the governorship election 2015 in Lagos State.

    Jimi is loved by Lagosians; only Jimi can give the National PDP a new lease of life, PDP as a political party is in need of a man without political, sociological and character baggage. PDP needsJimi Agbaje as national chairman.

     

    • Chief Azike, Ksc, member of the Board of Trustees APGA, writes from Lagos.