•Ortom, Wike, Mark, Saraki, others speak on PDP‘s plan to rescue Nigeria

By Peter Duru

The National Chairman of the People Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, has said by March/April of 2022, there will be nothing like the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Nigeria.

He said the APC was a contraption by few people to win power, with no programme or idea of what to do with power but ended up plunging Nigeria into unimaginable socio-economic and security crisis.

The former Senate President, who spoke, weekend, while addressing stakeholders of the PDP at the reception organized for him by the government and people of Benue State in Makurdi, said Nigerians were eagerly waiting for the PDP to rescue the country.

He said to meet the expectations of Nigerians, the National Working Committee, NWC, will unite the party and “build it to a fighting machine because Nigerians are waiting for us. Nigerians are tired. There is no governance in Nigeria under the APC.

“Days back people said to my hearing that Nigerians wish to return to the days of PDP. I believe that Nigerians want us to return to power. And it is not only at the federal level. At a point we had 28 governors. I believe that it is still possible to increase the number to at least 29 governors.

“It is possible to attain because by March/April there will be no APC in Nigeria. APC is a contraption; a contraption to win power with no programme or any idea of what to do with power.

“So we will be coming back with a programme of action, with workable policies to get our dear country working again; so that our people will enjoy peace and prosperity.

“PDP is a strong fair party; under the PDP no part of the country will be marginalized. It is equity and justice that Nigerians need. And it is only the PDP that can give us that. I want to assure you that it is going to happen after 2023.”

Senator Ayu promised to provide PDP members a level playing field at every level to enable them actualize their aspiration.

He said the party would work vigorously to regain leadership of the National Assembly, enlist more women and youths as well as halt the drift from the PDP to other political parties.

“For the Presidency, we will be fair to all aspirants. There will be no favoured aspirant. We will provide a level playing ground for everyone. The next President will be a product of the PDP.

“We urge Nigerians not to lose hope because a small collection of people have come together to divide us. We are a productive people who are respected across the world. Do not allow the current leadership to destroy the tenacity of this nation. PDP will be back with good policy, the economy will come back to life and we will start exporting again. As a party, we have done the needful. We will work hard to rebuild our nation and shame the foreign detractors who say Nigeria will break up.”

Mark, Saraki, Ortom, others speak

Also speaking, another former Senate President, Senator David Mark, lamented that nobody ever envisaged that the country would go down like what was happening under the APC leadership.

He said the amount of responsibility the nation had placed on the PDP was enormous and “we should focus on it and pray God to give the leaders the wisdom and courage to lead the party and take Nigeria to the Promised Land.”

Governor Samuel Ortom, in his remark, urged members of the PDP to work with the national leadership to ensure that equity, fairness, and transparency were entrenched in the party.

“If we do that, we will win election everywhere in this country because we know that the issue of imposition is what creates problems. But with the emergence of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu with the active support of leaders from across the country, we will get it right.

“I must say the failure of the APC has given us the opportunity and I trust God that by 2023, we will get back to Aso Rock. We shall rescue this country and build it back together,” he said.

READ ALSO: By March/April 2022 there’ll be nothing like APC — Ayu

Also, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, extolled the virtues of Senator Ayu, describing him as a competent person to lead the party to regain power in 2023 and assured of his support for him to succeed.

The governors of Enugu and Delta states also promised to work with the leadership of the party to ensure the victory of the party in the future polls.

Speaking on behalf of senators, Chairman of the North-Central caucus, Senator Philip Aduda, who declared the support of the members for Senator Ayu’s leadership, prayed God to grant him wisdom to lead the party to victory in 2023.

On his part, the Minority Leader of the House of Representative, Ndudi Elumelu, who listed the failed promises and lies the APC told Nigerians under the change mantra to win the 2015 election, said Nigerians were already crying for a return to the PDP era assuring that PDP lawmakers would support the new leadership to succeed.

We changed leadership to save PDP — Wike

Also speaking, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, said if the PDP would have collapsed if it had not changed its national leadership, adding that the change of the leadership was the key to the electoral victory of the party in 2023.

While declaring support for Ayu, Governor Wike said:  “We believe in you by giving you support to be the chairman of our party. We do not want to have a situation where we will continue to have the defection of our members in the National Assembly. We do not want further defection of our members.

“We want you to use your experience, as people have said, to make sure that even those who have left the party return back because they know that in sincerity there is no opportunity on the other side.

“I supported you, I voted for you, because I have the belief that you can turn this PDP to success in 2023. I thank God, today I am one of the happiest persons because a new leadership has emerged I am very happy. Because I know that if we did not do this, this party would have collapsed. I am very happy and most of you who refused to listen at that time you have now realized that changing the leadership is the key for this party to win in 2023.”

Efforts to get the APC leadership to speak on Ayu’s claim that the party would be no more, next year, did not yield fruits.

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