New Telegraph

Ayu: PDP’s journey to 2023 begins

In his post-election speech after he was declared elected as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Iyorchia Ayu, said his mission is to rebuild and reposition the party (so as) to rescue Nigeria.

 

This has been his gospel in every speech he delivered since then.

 

He told participants at a two-day retreat organised by PDP leaders across the country last month that PDP would no longer allow itself to be defined by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Rather, Ayu said PDP would offer a clear and workable alternative to rebuild Nigeria.

 

“Those who have lost hope should know that Nigeria is not a divided country. A small group of people decided to divide Nigeria (but) PDP will come back to unite our people, put them together, North and South, East and West. “We will move ahead to develop this country.

 

We did it before. We are going to do it again,” the former Senate President said in his acceptance speech at PDP national convention on October 31. The campaign message of his predecessor in office Prince Uche Secondus was 3Rs – Reposition, Rebuild and Regain. Secondus explained that his mission was to recreate and rebrand PDP, which image was badly damaged by the APC immediately it took over power in 2015.

 

“We took over the party when it was still trying to come out of the trauma of losing an election and being in opposition for two years under an intolerant ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

We met a psychologically traumatised party struggling to adjust to opposing life after 16 years in power. “We inherited a party that had issues with internal democracy.

 

Delegates were not having the final say on who flies the flag of the party in an election. Names of winners were randomly and blatantly changed in Abuja with disregard to the people and the requirements of our constitution,” Secondus stated when he gave account of his stewardship in 2020. Since then, a lot has happened in the party and Secondus was not around to prepare his handover note. He is at the moment in court against his party.

 

The circumstance of Ayu emergence was greatly different from that of Secondus. While he emerged as consensus candidate, his predecessor emerged after a bitter contest that caused a big division in PDP.

 

The stage is now set for Ayu, who incidentally, is one of the founding members of the PDP to preside over the affairs of the party as he was sworn in as the 16th Chairman of the PDP. He knew that a lot is expected from him.

 

At the valedictory session for outgone NWC members, the former President of the Senate said “the journey ahead is going to be turbulent and rough.

 

“Many people have attributed to me all sorts of capabilities. I’m sorry, I am not Jesus Christ, neither am I Prophet Mohammed. I am only a team leader who firmly believes that to run a big political party of this nature, you must work with everybody.”

 

Ayu also the new NWC would redefine the PDP’s narrative. The party would not be the type that issue occasional statements condemning the activities of the ruling party, but will take the battle to the court of APC. Nigerians will wait to see if he is going to go about it, even if it was a direct attack on the former NWC members.

 

A party member who asked not to be named, said PDP as opposition party angling to win election in 2023, “needs a sound, productive, aggressive leadership with robust ideas for publicity programmes capable of constructively take on the floundering All Progressives Congress, (APC), feast on its numerous failures in the manner APC performed in the pre- 2015 era.”

 

He recalled how the Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who was then APC spokesperson, and the party’s interim  National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande, picked holes in PDP-led Federal Government, especially the kidnap of the Chibok girls.

 

“The used the media generously and that brought the government to its knees. Since then, lots of kidnaps have taken place and the country is even worse now than then. So we need an opposition that can live up to the billings,” he said.

 

The party chieftain said the new NWC “must display the political marksmanship and dynamism as against text-book politics which the party’s chairman may want to display.”

 

He objected to what he described as “Ayu’s conservative school teacher’s orientation devoid of traits of battletested contemporary yet skills of political leaders who are willing to assemble and deploy resources- human and material might be the party’s albatross.

 

“The party is thoroughly divided , especially in the South-West, so what the exco needs to do now is sincere and thorough reconciliation. The Makinde group has taken effective leadership of the party in the zone, and has eliminated some leaders, but we cannot go into the 2023 elections as a divided party.

The Ayu-led NWC should ensure it takes the party back  from the precipice.” What the National Chairman did not do when he was campaigning for the office: visit state chapters of the party and feel their pulse, he is expected to do now that he has been sworn into office.

Apart from South West, the party is yet to conduct its North West zonal congress. The out gone NWC approved the suspension of some members in the Kebbi State chapter. There are also some state chapters whose affairs are run by a caretaker committee.

To compound his challenge is the fact that PDP will conduct its presidential primary next year, and a lot of party heavyweights are interested in the ticket, among them is his political soul mate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Ayu’s position is not an enviable one. Little wonder then that Ayu declared on Friday his intention to rebuid PDP.

He said: “The Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI) will be revived and strengthened to drive this process. Before the next election cycle, we shall present a PDP manifesto that will bring back Hope to our people.

“My dear compatriots, keep hope alive. Do not allow a small and rapacious cabal to destroy your faith in one, united Nigeria. A PDP administration will change the narrative. We will unite the people. We will deepen the content of our democracy. We will rebuild our collapsed economy.

We will make Nigerians the focus of development. “We will expand our international vision beyond Niger Republic. We will check the rampaging insecurity. We will restore Nigeria’s lost glory. And we will reclaim our dignity, destiny and pride as the Giant of Africa.

 

“To our faithful, I, on behalf of the new NWC, pledge to be guided by consultation, team-work, internal democracy and national interest. To all non-PDP members, we say our umbrella can accommodate all of us. And to our members who left, I urge you to come back home; our doors are still open.”

 

He however, has a word for the APC : “We, once again, renew our quit notice on you. Begin to prepare your handover notes,” but to Africa and the international community , he said “we know you are worried about Nigeria.

But we assure you that PDP will pull Nigeria back from the brink. PDP will not allow Nigeria to fulfill those doomsday predictions. “

 

Ayu acknowledged the historic role of the media in the fight for our independence and the return of Nigeria to democratic rule, adding that “it is in recognition of these that we ask for the support and cooperation of the media in the historic task of Rescuing and Rebuilding Nigeria, Come 2023.

Join hands with us. Together, we shall reclaim and rebuild our country to be one of the greatest countries in the world.”

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