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Tag: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

  • Obaseki’s foreign trips yielded no economic benefit – Edo PDP

    Obaseki’s foreign trips yielded no economic benefit – Edo PDP

    The Edo chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday said Gov. Godwin Obaseki’s several foreign trips since assumption of office on Nov. 12, 2016 had brought no economic benefit to the state.

    The state chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, gave the assessment at a news conference in Benin to appraise Obaseki’s one year in office.

    “These foreign trips have had no economic value to the people of the state. These have been wastage of tax payers’ money,” Orbih said.

    He said the business of governance was a serious one, urging Obaseki to address the problems of poverty, poor state of roads, unpaid pension and gratuity and insecurity at home.

    Orbih said the health sector was also in a pitiable state with the ”recently commissioned ultra-modern emergency ward built with billions of naira still empty and desolate”.

    He said it was shameful that a recent report by the Debt Management Office listed Lagos and Edo as the most indebted states in Nigeria, with Edo state foreign debt standing at 213.95 million dollars.

    The state PDP chairman criticised Obaseki for spending huge sums of money on a just-concluded summit to commemorate his one year in office anniversary, describing it as a talk show.

    But in a swift reaction, Mr Crusoe Osagie, Special Adviser to Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy, in a statement, described the PDP as lacking capacity to appreciate the new direction of Obaseki’s administration.

    He said the PDP was only attempting to tarnish the rising profile the state had earned with her lofty programmes, especially the Alaghodaro Investment Summit organised by the APC-led Edo State Government.

    “We wish that the PDP remnant will follow their former members who have evolved from stomach-seeking politics, have come to terms with the new people-oriented governance and have found a place in the APC.

    “It is not surprising to see that the feeble PDP remnants cannot see the benefits of an investment summit that assembled over 5,000 business leaders from across the world in Edo State to discuss the opportunities that abound in our state.

    “These are companies that are investing millions of dollars in Edo State, including the chief executives of BUA Group whose $1billion  three million tonnes cement plant was inaugurated by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo recently in Okpella, Edo State.

    “The President of Dangote Group that is kicking off a $1 billion cement factory in Okpella to expand its cement production in Nigeria, Mahindra Group that is collaborating with the Edo State Government to build the N200billion Benin Industrial Park and Tolaram Group to mention a few.

    “You cannot give what you do not have. The PDP clearly lacks the capacity to see the opportunities in the governor’s investment drive because of his profile as an investment banker.

    “His dexterity is currently on display at the Edo Chemical and Fertiliser Company which was a drainpipe for the PDP to siphon state funds, but is now up and running and producing fertiliser to Edo farmers and Nigerians at large,” he said.

  • Ekiti 2018: Five PDP aspirants unite against Fayose’s deputy

    Ekiti 2018: Five PDP aspirants unite against Fayose’s deputy

    ….Insist Olusola’s imposition won’t stand

    Five governorship aspirants of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State have resolved to work together and resist the alleged imposition of Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola as the “sole candidate” for the 2018 polls.

    They insist that there must be a free, fair, credible and transparent primary election from where the party’s flag bearer for the 2018 governorship race will emerge.

    One of the aspirants, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi, the immediate past Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, disclosed this in Ado-Ekiti while speaking as a guest at the commissioning of the campaign office of a fellow aspirant, Ambassador Dare Bejide.

    Ajayi, who was one of the closest and most trusted aides of Fayose before falling apart after Olusola’s adoption, said imposition of governorship candidate could open way for the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to grab power from PDP in the 2018 Ekiti poll.

    “All PDP aspirants are all working together; that is the reason why all of us should work together and I want to assure you that all aspirants in PDP minus the one that was adopted.

    All other aspirants, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, Senator Biodun Olujimi, Ambassador Dare Bejide, Bisi Omoyeni and I are all working together to ensure that there is no imposition of any candidate in PDP in this state.

    “To demonstrate the love among us, that is why I am here today to witness the commissioning of my friend’s campaign office and I believe that when I am going to do my own, I will also invite all of you to be there and you will equally be there.

    “Because when one of us becomes the governor under a peaceful, free and fair atmosphere, there will be no problem for our party members and there will no crisis in our state and it will not be possible for APC to defeat us.

    “Impunity, imposition of candidates, lawlessness and recklessness by those who supposed to know the rules in our party must stop. These were responsible for the loss of our party in the 2015 general elections.

    “We don’t want our state to be taken over by APC; we don’t want impunity, imposition and lawlessness in our party again and that is why we are demanding a free and fair primary.

    “We will ensure that there is no imposition in PDP, that is why we the aspirants, except the one purportedly adopted, are one and united and that is why I am here in solidarity with Bejide.”

    Ajayi urged the PDP national leadership to intervene in Ekiti and other state chapters so that the so that the party will not lose more leaders and members to other parties.

    He explained that the PDP is yet to recover from the 2015 loss in many states of the federation where party members defected to APC to win governorship and legislative seats.

    Ajayi added: “Some of our leaders because of the power they wielded imposed their will on the people during the 2015 general elections and the party paid dearly for it.

    “Former Plateau Governor Jonah Jang fielded his son-in-law as the governorship candidate while his predecessor, Joshua Dariye, sponsored Simon Lalong, our party member to contest on APC platform to win the governorship election.

    “This is despite the fact that PDP has the majority in the Plateau State House of Assembly but we lost the governorship to APC.

    “Also in Benue, former Governor Gabriel Suswam, imposed a candidate but our party member, Samuel Ortom, crossed over to APC to win the governorship election. We incurred these losses because of imposition.”

  • PDP still stuck in primitive, archaic governance style – Obaseki’s aide

    PDP still stuck in primitive, archaic governance style – Obaseki’s aide

    …says Edo has since moved on to Alaghodaro

     

    The Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration is forward looking and has since moved on with result-oriented governance, backed by millions of discerning Edo people, the Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, to the Edo State Governor, Mr Crusoe Osagie, has said.

    Mr Osagie who said this on Tuesday, explained that “unlike the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that is still stuck in primitive, archaic and medieval governance style, the Obaseki-led APC government has since moved on to Alaghodaro.”

    Alaghodaro which is a Benin word for progress was the thrust of the just-concluded investment summit which held from November 10-12, in Benin City and attracted global and local business leaders to the state.

    Commenting on the PDP’s appraisal of the summit, which received commendations from the international community, the federal government and other state governments, Osagie said: “The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) again demonstrated its lack of capacity to appreciate the new direction the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration is taking the state, with the opposition party’s consistent embarrassing comments on the well thought-out programmes of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

    He noted that the very few people still left in the ragtag drowning PDP have shown that they are stuck with their medieval and archaic approach to governance, by attempting to tarnish the rising profile the state has earned with her lofty programmes, especially the Alaghodaro Investment Summit organised by the APC-led Edo State Government.

    “We wish that the PDP remnant will follow their former members who have evolved from stomach-seeking politics, have come to terms with the new people-oriented governance and have found a place in the APC. It is not surprising that to see that the feeble PDP remnants cannot see the benefits of an investment summit that assembled over 5,000 business leaders from across the world in Edo State to discuss the opportunities that abound in our state.”

    According to the governor’s spokesman, “these are companies that are investing billions of dollars in Edo State, including the chief executives of BUA Group whose $1billion 3million tonnes cement plant was inaugurated by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo recently in Okpella, Edo State, the President of Dangote Group, that is kicking off a $1 billion cement factory in Okpella, to expand its cement production in Nigeria, Mahindra Group that is collaborating with the Edo State Government to build the N200billion Benin Industrial Park and Tolaram Group to mention a few.”

    He added that the PDP is wallowing in ignorance because “You cannot give what you do not have. The PDP clearly lacks the capacity to see the opportunities in the governor’s investment drive because of his profile as an investment banker. His dexterity is currently on display at the Edo Chemical and Fertiliser Company which was a drainpipe for the PDP to siphon state funds, but is now up and running and producing fertiliser to Edo farmers and Nigerians at large.”

    He expressed sympathy with the PDP ignorance and said that “our governor is open to sharing his ideas and knowledge and is particularly willing to teach the remnant PDP members, what it takes to deliver measurable, concrete and verifiable investments from business trips, unlike their widely reported globetrotting that pauperised our people when they held sway.”

    Osagie stressed that “It is rather unfortunate that the same PDP, which is the cause of all the mess that the APC government has been clearing in the past nine years in the state, is now begging the question by providing shelter for officials of the Edo State Traffic Management Agency (EDSTMA).”

    He further said “we have received the shelter without thanks to them because we know that the funds used in procuring those items are a fraction of our common patrimony which they plundered with reckless abandon. A dignifying act would be to bring back the looted billions so that the APC can fast-track the development of the state.

    “The PDP has always been known to thrive through the misrepresentation of facts and the telling of outright lies. But Edo people are much more sophisticated than the PDP and know that their claims of the state’s indebtedness are all lies and should be discountenanced.”

  • Presidency replies Lamido, uncovers plan to destroy national institutions

    Presidency replies Lamido, uncovers plan to destroy national institutions

    The Presidency says it has uncovered plan by politicians seeking the destruction of national institutions such as the courts, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) and “everything good that the nation stands for”.

    Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, made this known in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday.

    The presidential aide cited the recent series of interviews by a former governor of Jigawa and presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ), Alhaji Sule Lamido, attacking President Buhari’s efforts on ongoing war against corruption, as part of the grand plan.

    He, however, described the attacks by Lamido “as” a reflection of the intellectual and moral bankruptcy of the opposition in the country.

    “It is only in Nigeria that a leader will divert money belonging to the public into his children’s account then turns round to start pontificating on public morals, in the process subjecting the nation’s honest leadership to daily attacks based on falsehood.

    “It is even worse that such a person, facing criminal prosecution will start going round saying he wants to be president. Is this not one of the reasons why other countries are laughing at Nigeria?

    “This is hooliganism. It is not opposition politics,’’ Shehu noted.

    The presidential spokesman challenged Lamido to convince Nigerians that his trenchant attacks against the government and the judiciary were not a smokescreen to becloud the atmosphere of his criminal prosecution.

    “In his diatribe published in the Vanguard newspaper last week, it is clear that the former governor not only set out to mock the President but the judiciary and important national institutions.’’

    According to him, this is part of an orchestrated plot to divert public attention from his scam related cases.

    He added that, “If President Buhari’s war against corruption as he said, was a mockery what does one say of Lamido’s sworn efforts to sabotage the country’s efforts to rid itself of the cancer of corruption?

    “If accountability of public officials is the very essence of a mature democracy, it is indeed ironic that a politician, seeking the leadership of the country, making a mockery of institutions and leaders seeking to entrench that.

    “As a country, Nigeria settled for President Buhari not just as President but the watchman of people’s wealth.”

    Shehu observed that the citizens are happy with Buhari’s efforts in fighting corruption and the whole world was applauding him, while the African Union, the AU named him as the Champion of the war against corruption.

    He stated that opposition politicians like Lamido needed to come to terms with the fact that their act needed updating.

    Shehu further quoted Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG) that said, “the nation’s war against corruption spearheaded by EFCC was incidentally formulated by the a past PDP administration.

    “It is a tragic irony that the leaders of the same party are doing their utmost to weaken or destroy it. Watch it, is that why he is seeking to lead the country?

    “Time and again, President Buhari had lamented that strongmen had destroyed the country’s strong institutions and that it will take strong men to rebuild them.

    “He deserves the support of everyone to rebuild such institutions because they serve a common good.”

    The presidential aide, therefore, appealed to  opposition politicians to give President Buhari the support he needed to rebuild national institutions such as the EFCC.

    NAN

  • PDP chairman aspirants to sign peace accord – Dokpesi

    PDP chairman aspirants to sign peace accord – Dokpesi

    Chief Raymond Dokpesi, the one of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) National Chairmanship aspirants, has said that all the eight chairmanship aspirants would sign a peace accord as part of their commitment toward successful convention.

    Dokpesi, the founder of Daar Communications, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen after the PDP Governors Forum met with all aspirants in Enugu, which ended at early hour of Monday.

    Dokpesi disclosed that all the aspirants had agreed to sign the peace accord at the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, by 4 p.m.

    He described the move as part of efforts by the aspirants to ensure that the party comes out of the convention  stronger and united.

    “With that accord being signed we are going to look forward to a very peaceful and harmonious convention.”

    Asked if the issue of zoning came up at the meeting of the forum with the aspirants, Dokpesi said the party was explicit enough on the issue of zoning.

    He said that while the party’s presidential ticket was zoned to the North, the position of chairman’s was zone to the South, without specific reference to  states or geopolitical region.

    He said that the candidates had agreed to work together

    “After the zoning principle, all the aspirants have agreed to work together to come up with a common position. Anybody can contest.

    “If the party in its wisdom and the aspirants agreed within themselves and notify the party early enough that would be fine.”

    Also asked if the issue of a consensus  candidate was deliberated at the meeting Dokpesi said “no, but that did not mean there were no discussion among the aspirants.

    “Today on the way forward, a few of the aspirants met in the morning and in the afternoon and discussed which solution can be adopted.”

    Dokpesi added that following the meeting  he would go ahead with his campaign and consultation to fulfill his ambition.

    The Governor of Ekiti and Chairman of the Forum, Mr Ayodele Fayose, said that the party national convention, schedule for Dec. 9, would be a world class  that other political parties would emulate.

    Fayose said that the party had work hard and it has all it takes to win the Saturday Anambra Governorship election.

    “We are using this opportunity to demand that the election should be credible. It should not only be credible but seen to be credible.

    “We want to believe that Nigeria is of age to organise election that is acceptable at home and internationally, on Nov. 18 in Anambra,” Fayose added

    In attendance were the Chairman of the party’s National Caretaker Committee, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, all the PDP governors, except Ebonyi represented by his deputy.

    Other aspirants at the meeting were Chief Bode George, Gbenga Daniel, Prince Uche Secondus, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Jimi Agbaje, Taoheed Adedoja and Rashid Ladoja.

    Also in attendance were Ike Ekweremadu, the Deputy President of the Senate; Gabriel Susuwan, former Benue Governor, Adolphus Nwabara and Sule Lamido.

    NAN

  • Kaduna PDP sets up four committees to woo back defectors

    Kaduna PDP sets up four committees to woo back defectors

    The Kaduna State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) has set up four committees to woo back members that defected from the fold.

    The committees, according to the party’s state chairman Hassan Hyat, will also mobilise new members into the fold.

    Hyat on Sunday in Jos said that each senatorial district had a committee saddled with bringing back former members, while a central committee was wooing members from other political folds.

    “One of the senatorial district committees has turned in its report, while reports from the three other committees are still being awaited,” he said.

    According to him, many top PDP chieftains, who left the party in the last few years, have returned to rebuild the house they left.

    “Among the returnees are former commissioners, legislators and local government chairmen; we have left the door open and many others are still coming in,” he said.

    Hyat said that he was surprised at the quality and quantity of people rushing into the PDP in Kaduna State.

    “There is general dissatisfaction at the ‘other side’. The returnees said that they were deceived into abandoning a house they built and have promised to join hands with us to build it back to reckoning,” he said.

    He said that the party was ready to forgive “members that created crises and left”, saying that the PDP would give equal opportunities to returning members, new ones and those that had remained faithful over time.

    “We have not promised anyone anything. There is no automatic ticket for anyone, whether new or old.

    “We have promised that there will be no impunity or imposition. What that means is that everyone interested in anything would have to fight for it and get it on merit,” he said.

    Hyat said that the PDP was also wary of moles that were being planted to cause confusion and frustrate its rejuvenation to greatness.

    “Clearly, the PDP is getting more popular by the day and should normally attract those with evil intention, but we are being careful to identify such persons and know how to relate with them,” he said.

    On the party’s National Convention slated for December 8, Hyat said that the intensive competition for party offices was an indication of the rising popularity of PDP in the country.

    “We are moving through a developmental phase; it is a sign of strength. It means that the PDP belongs to everyone and offers equal opportunities to its members. It means that we are waxing stronger,” he said.

    Hyat said that the PDP had a good chance of making inroads in the 2019 elections because Nigerians had tasted another political party in power, and could now compare.

    “We lost power to the APC in 2015, but many Nigerians have compared the two political groups and appear convinced that PDP did a good job. So, there is hope that we could be given another chance,” he said.

    He said that Kaduna State witnessed massive developments in the eight years Sen. Ahmed Makarfi served as governor.

    “Makarfi constructed many roads, bridges and houses. He also created new traditional councils based on demands, and sank boreholes to improve the living standards of villagers,” he said.

    NAN

  • 500 PDP, ANPP members join APC in Ekiti

    500 PDP, ANPP members join APC in Ekiti

    Over 500 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) members on Thursday in Afao Quarters, Ikere-Ekiti joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) in support of the governorship ambition of an aspirant, Mr. Kola Alabi.

    The defectors said Alabi has touched the lives of the people of the community through his philanthropic gestures and offers hope for the downtrodden if he becomes governor.

    They also identified APC as a party that has the interest of the people at heart having a better manifesto to transform Ekiti and better the residents’ standard of living.

    Addressing the gathering after moving to APC, Mr. Tope Agbanigo, and former PDP Vice Chairman in Afao Ward described Alabi as a God-sent leader who is tested and competent for the office of governor.

    He explained that Alabi provided scholarship to thousands of students in the ward and Ikere as a whole while also paying electricity bills for the people and provided transformers in the town.

    The ANPP National Secretary, Mr. Ojo Aruleba, who hails from the ward, also defected to the APC at the rally.

    Addressing the gathering, Alabi, has said the party will respect the leadership guide of the APC National Leader of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in selecting a credible candidate that can defeat the PDP in the 2018 governorship poll.

    Alabi, however, clarified that the guide expected from Tinubu is to ensure a conduct of a free, fair and credible primary that will produce a sellable candidate based on the principle of zoning, to inject equity, justice and fair play into Ekiti politics.

    He said: “We believe in Asiwaju Tinubu’s leadership. He worked hard to earn it. But I know that being a leader he will support a popular candidate to fly our party’s flag rather than imposition.”

    Alabi said the party can only win the 2018 governorship elections if the primary is transparent and if zoning is embraced.

  • PDP to Buhari: You can’t destroy opposition 

    PDP to Buhari: You can’t destroy opposition 

    The leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has warned President Muhammadu Buhari against attempts to destroy opposition in the country, saying no amount of harassment will make the PDP crumble.

    In a statement on Wednesday by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, the party slammed the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration for persecuting the opposition for no justifiable reasons.

    “The latest needless onslaught against our party members is the plan by the APC government at the centre to incarcerate 50 members of our party before the end of this year with a view to using their arrest to deceive Nigerians that the failed anti-corruption war is still on course.

    “The dirty job, we are aware, has been handed over to the compromised anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Already, five members of our party have been illegally arrested and detained by EFCC without any charge preferred against them”, the statement said.

    Although the PDP said it could not immediately reveal the identities of about 45 of its members marked for arrest in the days ahead, the party said it was by no means scared of the persecution by the Buhari administration.

    Continuing, the party said, “We are sure that the daylight is about to break after the dark night of the APC administration. We wish to state clearly that what is ongoing under the Buhari administration is not a fight against corruption but an attempt at using members of the PDP as scapegoats and cover up for the ineffectual anti-corruption agenda of the current government.

    “The current wave of arrests therefore has nothing to do with the failed anti-corruption war but everything with 2019 elections. The ruling party failed on all its major election planks.

    “It has nothing to show for its over thirty months in office. The APC government has come to the conclusion that the only way to prevent its inevitable defeat at the polls in 2019 is to hound, harass, intimidate and suppress members of our party into submission.

    “However, we wish to state clearly that irrespective of what the APC government does in an attempt at bringing the PDP down to its knees, we shall remain irrepressible and will not bow to any tyranny.

    “The APC has already thrown away its chances in the 2019 elections by its non-performance. No amount of intimidation and harassment of the opposition will improve its fortunes.

    “We call on all men and women of goodwill to rise up to challenge the invidious attempt by the APC government to turn Nigeria into a gestapo state and undermine our hard earned democracy on the altar of political desperation”, the statement added.

  • Daniel blames Sheriff Loyalists for Ogun PDP crisis

    Daniel blames Sheriff Loyalists for Ogun PDP crisis

    An aspirant for the national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP ), Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has blamed the leadership crisis in the state’s chapter of the party on the loyalists of the sacked national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff.

    Daniel, who was governor of Ogun State from 2003-2011, spoke with journalists on Wednesday shortly after he collected his nomination papers at the Abuja secretariat of the PDP.

    He described the crisis as a play-off of the Sheriff-Makarfi tussle that lasted 14 months before the Supreme Court eventually sacked Sheriff in a July 12 judgment.

    Two factions emerged from a recently conducted congress in Ogun, with both factions laying claim to the leadership of the chapter.

    The national leadership of the PDP had, on August 23, set up a Caretaker Committee for the chapter, with Mr. Tunde Odanye as chairman.

    But in a swift reaction, another group, led by a serving senator representing Ogun East senatorial district, Buruji Kashamu had rejected the Odanye-led caretaker committee from the outset.

    Daniel however said the crisis in the chapter would not affect his chances of winning the chairmanship seat in the December 9 national convention.

    “This crisis is not peculiar to Ogun State because many state chapters are experiencing crisis. Only that the crisis in Ogun is more reported than others”, Daniel said.

    The ex-governor described his ongoing trial for alleged corruption as mere persecution, saying that also, would not work against his aspiration.

    Readd: PDP crises grow in states 

    He insisted that he remained innocent of all the charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), until proven otherwise by a competent court.

    “I don’t want to go into the politics of our own state but I am very sure that there is really no issue about my trial. If there is issue, I will not come to say I want to be chairman. And when you look at what is going on now in our country, who is in PDP that is not being tried?

    “Virtually everybody who is in PDP is being tried for one thing or the other. They are being arrested on a daily basis and I think the media has a lot of work to report what is going on. As far as I am concerned, I cannot pronounce myself as innocent but I know that I am innocent”, he said.

    Otunba Daniel slammed some members of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) for attempting to exclude him and a few other aspirants from the chairmanship race without consulting the affected aspirants.

     

     

  • 2019: PDP renews call for Atiku’s return

    2019: PDP renews call for Atiku’s return

    The Adamawa State chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party ( PDP ) has renewed its call on former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to return to the party ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    Mr Shehu Tahir, the state chairman of the party, made the call while speaking the party’s stakeholders meeting on Wednesday in Yola.

    Tahir said: “It is not a wise decision for Atiku to abandon the house he helped to build, so we want him back.’’

    He said that the problem that led to mass defection of former members of the party to other parties were over, hence the need for them to return.

    “We are calling on Atiku Abubakar, who is among the PDP founding fathers, not to abandon the house he had helped to build.

    “This is because the party needs him now to continue from where he stopped.’’

    Read: PDP chair: Dokpesi flays BoT members’ role

    He also called on other stakeholders to help prevail on the former vice-president to return to the party.

    “We urge our stakeholders to prevail on him and others who left to reconsider their decision and return to the party.”

    On the 2019 general elections, the chairman said that the party was ready to provide credible alternative to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

    According to the chairman, the party’s doors are open to all Nigerians willing to join its fold, assuring that level playing ground would be provided to all members.