BY Henry Umoru
ABUJA — AHEAD of 2015, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, yesterday predicted that non-performing parties would be voted out by Nigerians.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja on  the occasion of one year anniversary of the present National Working Committee, NWC, Tukur  noted that the sole purpose of the opposition merger was to  grab power by all means, even as he  warned opposition parties that PDP was prepared to ensure  the survival and success of democracy in Nigeria.

In his remarks,  Vice President Namadi Sambo  warned those working against the interest of the party to stop it and unite for the interest of the party, adding, “once we have restructured and rebuilt, we are ready to face any opposition party. We advise opposition parties to join PDP.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT, Chief Tony Anenih disclosed that PDP Governors’ Forum, National Working Committee (NWC) of the party and the party BoT have no contending issues and that the party organs were intact.

Represented by the BoT Secretary, Senator Walid Jibrin, Anenih said:  “Our party is not afraid at all of APC and I want to assure you that PDP will beat the merger party hands down.”

At the event,  majority of the PDP governors were absent  as well as President Goodluck Jonathan. Three  governors who attended the event were that of Akwa Ibom, Kogi and Kwara states, while others sent representatives. President Goodluck Jonathan also sent his Vice, Arc Namadi Sambo to the anniversary.

Speaking further, Tukur said:  “The sole purpose of the gang-up of chauvinists masquerading as so-called progressive democrats in order to confuse the masses is to stop PDP at all cost, and grab power by all means, to serve their narrow irredentist agenda.

“We want it to be on record that our party acknowledges the right and entitlement of all political parties to exist and compete for political power. We acknowledge and respect the rule of the electoral practices and recognise that a party that does not perform well can be voted out of power as easily as it was voted into office.

“In a democracy, political parties are not anti-system and anti-constitution in their mode of operation. National interest mediates all their engagements and actions.” The Chairman of the party’s forum and Akwa Ibom state governor, Godswill Akpabio, who represented the PDP governors at the occasion dismissed the story making the round that eight PDP governors were making moves to defect to opposition party, saying it was not true.

He said: “I want to dispel the rumour making the round that eight governors from PDP move to defect, I have spoken with them and none of them is making such move, it is a lie. Rather we are going to surprise the party, we will win more states in 2015.”