National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Chukwuma Okoro
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, yesterday called on members of the PDP to reposition the party to enable it take power from the APC in 2027. Wabara made the call at the Party’s Wadata Plaza Headquarters in Abuja during the party’s Board of Trustees, BOT meeting, ahead of the National Executive Committee, NEC meeting which also held yesterday in Abuja.
Members of the BOT who attended the meeting include the BOT’s Secretary, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, acting National Chairman of the party, Amb. Umar Damagum, the party’s National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Hon Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Bala Mohammed, alongside former and current governors from the party.
The call became necessary because, according to Wabara, “Nigerians are currently passing through a perilous time and their earnest expectation is for us as a Party to put our house in order and effectively lead the charge to rescue our nation from the stranglehold of the All-Progressives Congress (APC). Together, we have the power to surmount any obstacle, overcome any challenge, and realize our collective vision of a stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive party ready to take over power at the centre in 2027. We must therefore go into this meeting with the determination and resolve to urgently come up with practical solutions to the challenges facing our Party at this time.”
Wabara bemoaned the current crisis in the Party which resulted from the ouster of the former Chairman of the Party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu from the North Central zone and his replacement with someone from outside the zone, who contrary to the Party’s regulations has been in office for more than one year instead of being replaced with someone from the same zone, and the contentious issue surrounding the position of the Secretary to the Party have both combined and brought a series of disturbing litigations within the Party.
“Recalling the events that led to the ousting of the former Chairman of the Party in person of H.E. Senator Iyorchia Ayu, the current Acting Chairman has spent over a year in office whereas as the usual practice of the party, the region from whence the national officer hails from should have produced a viable candidate to complete the tenure of the former national officer. Furthermore, the contentious issue surrounding the office of the National Secretary has regrettably sown seeds of discord within our party. The ambiguity surrounding this position has led to confusion and internal strife, hindering our collective efforts to pursue our noble objectives. The solutions to these two challenges are clearly imbibed in our party’s constitution but deliberate litigations have made the application of these constitutional solutions impossible”, Wabara said.
He said that it was incumbent on the members of the BOT to resolve these issues with urgency, transparency, fairness and in the best interest of the party, and taking advantage of the forthcoming changes to build a stronger and more virile party for the future.
“As we stand on the cusp of a new era, marked by the impending expiration of the Ward and LGA executive structures of our party across several states, we are presented with a pivotal opportunity to reinvigorate and reposition our party for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The forthcoming congresses at various levels serve as a beacon of hope, offering us a platform to reaffirm our commitment to democratic ideals, grassroots participation, and inclusive governance; let us seize this moment to embrace change, foster unity, and chart a course towards a brighter and more prosperous future for our party and our nation.In conclusion, let us approach the deliberations of this meeting with a spirit of fellowship, mutual respect, and unwavering dedication to the ideals and principles that bind us together as members of the great People’s Democratic Party (PDP).”
Senator Wabara as Acting Chairman of the BOT ran into trouble with the Abia PDP last year for alleged anti-party activities when he publicly endorsed the Abia State Governor Alex Otti of the Labour Party for a second term, a few months after he assumed office as governor, prompting the Abia PDP to call for his suspension from the party and resignation from his position as the PDP BOT Chairman.
