Ahead Thursday, April 18, 2024, a day scheduled for the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, two-time governorship aspirant in Edo State, High Chief Jacob Egietseme Idinye has called on party’s stakeholders to produce a substantive National chairman.
Idinye added that the era of having someone in acting capacity to run the affairs of a party as big as PDP which had national spread and had being in power for more than 16 years should be over.
He maintains that the PDP constitution only recognized full Chairmanship position contrary to what is being currently witnessed.
Speaking with journalists Tuesday morning at the airport hotel, Ikeja in Lagos, the Etsako High Chief stated that since the defeat of the party in the February 25, 2023 presidential poll, the party needed restructuring so that it would assume the strength to face its challenges and surmount them.
“I love the ethics, ethos, rules, guidelines as well as the the constitution of the PDP and that is why many serious-minded members of the party like me and several others are still in the party. The truth is that we can no longer have a national chairman who is in acting capacity, we need a substantive national chairman in line with our party constitution and I urge all critical stakeholders in the party to key into this much needed change that is required in the party’s national affairs. This should also top the agenda of what the National Executive Committee meeting should address on Thursday, April 18, 2024 in Abuja.
“PDP is long taken like children without parenthood since the last elections and I think there is need for paradigm shift and we should thrive and accentuate our core values, objectives, policy thrusts and principles. Since the acting chairman has been in place, we haven’t seen him addressing any serious issues bedeviling the party or talking about way forward on how to gain power at the centre. PDP cannot continue to be acting as an appendage of the ruling party, APC.
“We want a full chairman for PDP after this NEC meeting, someone who can bark and bite. What we now see many of our representatives do this day is holding press conferences and that is not enough for a party that wanted power at the centre. We need to change the narrative, we need to start talking to the people and endear our party to them at all levels, this is what we need at this crucial time. Some elected members do not call stakes in their communities for meetings, and we know that if they are no more in power they easily jump ship, all these need to change. Some leaders must even be expelled from the party for the sake of sanity. We are tired of two-faced politicans in PDP, enough is enough.
“Meanwhile, I also learnt a certain Northern group rejected Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as Party National leader, and has endorsed Nyesom Wike, this is really laughable. This group is obviously not PDP speaking, its another unrecognized group being funded by moles within the party, who are literally creating problems in PDP and this is totally unacceptable. We have our rules well speltout about anti party activities, we know the individuals involved and of course appropriate sanctions would be slammed on them in due course.
“The PDP has been grappling with strife since the presidential convention in 2022. The blowback led to the suspension of former National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, who Alhaji Umar Damagum replaced in an acting capacity. There are even speculations that the acting chairman is an ally of FCT minister, Nyesom Wike. More so, the recent fight between Mr Wike and the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has further escalated the crisis in the party. We need to correct all these self-inflicted crisis in the party, chart a new course for purpose, direction and stability.
“I understand the PDP governors would be holding their meetings as from Tuesday and Wednesday and thereafter come up with their own position, that would be different from what everyone is expecting. My prayer is that their resolutions must be in the collective interest of the party and I wish PDP best of luck as the much awaited NEC meeting draws nearer.” Idinye stated.
