14th May, 2016
They said that if the party chieftains failed to work as a team but divided, it would rob the party of electoral fortunes in the forthcoming council polls.
They made this plea on Saturday in Lagos following the State Congress held at the party’s secretariat on Friday in Ikeja by a faction of the party.
According to them, the party must show its readiness for future elections rather than fanning the embers of disunity and personal interest through imposition of candidates.
A lawmaker, Mr Jude Idimogu (PDP-Oshodi/Isolo II) in the House urged the party’s chieftains to close ranks and sheathe their swords to build a formidable party.
“Factions will never help the party, it will create divisions but if all factions come together and have consensus candidates for all positions, it will help the family.
“Imposing candidates will spell doom for the party, PDP should be a family. We need to move the party forward and recapture the lost glory,” Idimogu said.
The lawmaker lamented that some leaders who had failed to deliver, still wanted to continue to lead the party, stressing that such leaders should give room for others.
Also, Mr Victor Akande (PDP- Ojo I) said that the state congress held by a faction of the party on Friday would not be acceptable since members of the National Assembly and State House of Assembly were absent.
Akande said, “Such congress that did not have members of both the National and state House of Assembly in attendance is a kangaroo, it is a caricature, a laughing stock and it is dead on arrival.”
He urged members to wait for the decision of the National Working Committee’s (NWC) Special Committee led by the former Governor of Kano, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau established to make a truce among factions.
The lawmaker also urged chieftains of the party to allow a structural reform where new players that could deliver victory for the party to come on board.
Akande called for transparency and internal democracy, expressing optimism that the party would overcome its challenges and emerge stronger.
He advised party stalwarts to play advisory roles and give room for most qualified persons to steer the ship of the party, rather than those that could not win the polling booths in front of their houses.
A faction, suspected to be loyal to a chieftain of the party, held a state congress on Friday where some members were elected by consensus to form the new state executive council.