SAN FRANCISCO, December 15, (THEWILL) – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has admitted that it needs the full support of its members in the South-West to effectively execute its plan to regain political power in 2019.
This was declared by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, who is also the Chairman of the PDP’s Post-Convention Committee on Reconciliation, when he led members of his Committee on a visit to the former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, in Lagos on Thursday.
Dickson, who commended Daniel, a National Chairmanship aspirant in the December 9 convention of the party, said that the PDP would need the support and the wise counsel of Daniel and other leaders in the South-West to succeed in its objectives.
“We come with greetings from the leadership of the party that you consolidated, the party that you served as a governor for eight years,” he said.
“We are here to thank you and to remind you that you are still a pillar of our party, in your state, in the South-West, and across Nigeria. The party is relying on your wise counsel.
“You and your colleagues woke up our party when you went round the entire country to campaign. Our party, the PDP, is a viable political platform.
“We are here to discuss the issues that have arisen as a result of the convention. The party holds you, Ogun State, and the South-West Zone in very high esteem.
“Moving forward, we rely on the support and guidance of leaders like you to succeed. We look forward to your active robust participation in the affairs of the PDP going forward.”
In his response, Daniel said it was too late for leaders of the PDP of his status to contemplate leaving the party assuring his guests that the PDP in the south-west would do everything to ensure the success of the party in 2019.
“From the bottom of my heart, I really want to thank you for your commendable efforts and for the strength of this powerful delegation; for you to have decided to leave whatever you are doing to embark on this mission of reconciliation after the convention, even within a few days, is something quite commendable,” he said.
“And I want you to rest assured that we will do everything that is humanly possible to make sure that our party, the PDP, succeeds. There is no doubt that there are issues. Of course, the issues are usually expected when you have this kind of struggle.
“I also know that grievous mistakes have been made and assumptions that ordinarily shouldn’t have happened have happened. But we also are sufficiently experienced to appreciate that the struggle for power is not a tea party. And quite a number of people in the process play anyhow whether fair or foul.
“But I think the responsibility of our party and of leadership is what you have demonstrated. That when we do have challenges, rather than sit back, and brood over our challenges, you have stood up to do what is expected.”
Earlier, the Committee had visited Rasheed Ladoja, former Governor of Oyo state who was also a Chairmanship aspirant in the election.
