28th December, 2012
With Nigeria’s 2015 governorship polls still more than two years away, the Lagos State chapter of Nigeria’s Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has begun moves to put its house in order as part of preparation for the election.
The party in its desire to reconcile all factions in the party, has inaugurated its Elders Club whose role is to offer necessary advice, guide the party’s executive without interfering in the running of the party, and embarking on a rigorous enlightenment of the people.
P.M.NEWS reliably gathered that the party is also considering a massive campaign to “dissect” the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria’s style of governance and its implications to the development and well-being of the state.
It was also learnt that the party leaders considered the problems they had in the party’s primaries and have decided that starting early would give the party the opportunity to put in place a process that would produce an acceptable and popular candidate that would contest the governorship election in 2015.
At the inauguration of the expanded apex body of the party in the Ikoyi residence of the former national deputy chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, the party said the only means possible to dislodge the ACN in Lagos is for members to close ranks, work as a team and endear the Lagos PDP to the people “who are already disenchanted with the Fashola administration.”
Speaking on the need to begin preparations now, George emphasised the need for PDP members to close ranks. He asked the party leaders and faithful in the zone to be ready to oust ACN. “If at all we won’t be able to flush ACN out of the South-West like we did in 2003, we can start with Lagos in 2015. We are sure of winning Lagos if there is any election now.”
Stressing that the battle against the ACN could only be won if PDP would be alert and determined to fight, he noted that the thrust of this focus is to point out that as the epic battle for 2015 develops, they must all be battle ready.
He explained that the body is not a substitute for the state party executive council and has no business taking over its constitutional functions and should not be involved in the day-to-day running of the party.”
Explaining some of the factors that made him believe that the PDP can take over Lagos, George said there was already tension within the ruling party because of the style of imposing candidates by the party’s national leader and former governor of the state, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said the PDP flaunted a better opportunity in 2011 because it was able to win a bye-election in Ikorodu into the State House of Assembly before the 2011 election, and “unfortunately we lost the same seat few months after, to the ruling ACN, but the recent council polls have revealed our strength.”
The PDP is also hoping to cash in on the disenchantment of the masses over the new traffic law, which they claim was causing resentment in many quarters. The state chairman of the party Retired Captain Tunji Shelle said: “The millions of commercial motorcycle operators across the state have now realised that the ACN government does not mean well for them. Majority of them are yearning seriously for a change, which the PDP is going to provide.”
The party faulted the claim of Governor Babatunde Fashola on the 72 per cent implementation of the 2012 budget. The PDP spokesman, Mr. Taofeek Gani accused the state government and the ACN of gross deceit over claims on achievements. He urged the people to verify most of the achievements the government claimed as they are under concession. “For instance, the Lekki/Epe Expressway is a Private Public Partnership programme and the users are paying. The best part of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) is paid for, whatever services they render are paid for. What is the budget performance in these?”