BREAKING: PDP FINALLY RESOLVES TO CHANGE NAME (REASONS)
BREAKING:
PDP FINALLY RESOLVES TO CHANGE NAME (REASONS)
In a move widely believed to be pre-emptive and designed to
prevent the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from exploiting issues from
the recent political realignments in the country, the main opposition Peoples
Democratic Party, (PDP), has finally resolved to change its name ahead of the
2019 general election.
The PDP, which planned to announce the decision to change its name
today, had also penciled in Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu as the one
to head a committee that would walk the party through the procedure.
That was as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said Saturday in
Yola that the federal government led by the APC had failed Nigerians and the
people were yearning for change. Atiku stated this at Ribadu Square, in the
capital of his home state of Adamawa, at a rally where he formally declared his
intention to contest next year’s presidential election on the platform of PDP.
He decried the killings in different parts of the country and blamed the APC
for visiting insecurity, tragedy, division, and economic misery upon the
citizens.
Atiku promised to restore national unity, security of life and
property, and economic prosperity if elected president.
According to Thisday, the decision by the PDP to change its name
might have stemmed from last Thursday’s meeting between President Muhammadu
Buhari and Senate President Bukola Saraki. Though details of their discussion
were not made public, many in PDP believed that with such sessions, the chances
of bringing Saraki back to the PDP could be hampered.
The opposition party had long mooted the idea of name change but
had slowed down on the decision because a majority of its members were not
disposed to it, and those who wanted it could not convince the others.
Besides, it was thought that even though the party had switched
positions and had become an opposition party, PDP was still the only party with
membership in the remotest parts of the country, and the name resonated with a
majority of its members and admirers, particularly among the teeming illiterate
populations.
But this very thinking had since changed, especially with the
prevalent narrative of the ruling party, which is always attacking the PDP as a
corrupt party. PDP believes the corruption allegation is the main defence APC
has found to justify its continued stay in office, despite widespread belief
that it has mismanaged the affairs of the country.
Leaders of the opposition party are, therefore, of the opinion
that since the ruling APC may be unable to campaign with a good record on
economy and security, the only thing it has going for it is the attempt to
de-market the opposition by constantly alluding to corruption allegations.
However, once the name changes, leaders of the party reckon, PDP would
naturally die with the corruption tag and the engagement would shift to
issues-based debate. Many PDP members feel that APC would be unable to sustain
such a debate owing to its poor performance in the last three years.
It is also believed that in the run-up to 2019, PDP has gained
many sympathizers, some of who are, however, uncomfortable with the name
because of the baggage that comes with it. The party’s leaders are, therefore,
of the view that with the old name gone, PDP’s sympathizers would not only
openly identify with it, but most of them would also attract more members, thus
putting it in a position of advantage to effectively take on APC in the next
election.
Therefore, the assignment before the Ekweremadu committee would be
to come up with a name that best suits the party, considering the short time
between now and 2019, and also not forgetting that such a name must be easily
recalled by illiterate citizens. Meanwhile, Atiku was well received at his
declaration ceremony in Yola, which took place in a carnival-like atmosphere.
“Fellow Nigerians, the government of APC has failed, it has failed
to unite Nigerians,” Atiku told a capacity crowd of jubilant supporters and
party leaders, which included PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, and
other members of the party’s National Working Committee as well as leaders from
the six geo-political zones of the country. “Today we are more divided than in
any other time in the history of this country.”
He said the APC government had failed to rescue Nigeria from
destruction, “Rather, it has destroyed the economy, security, and ensured more
poverty and starvation in the land.”
Atiku stressed, “The APC promised us three million new jobs a
year. In government, the APC has lost three million jobs a year.
“The APC promised us peace and unity. Under the APC, Nigeria is
now more divided and acrimonious than at any time since the civil war.”
The former vice president said, “Nigeria’s major problem is
insecurity. More people are killed in Nigeria than people in Afghanistan
because Nigerians are no longer secure in their country due to the
insensitiveness of the current leadership of the APC.”
According to Atiku, “The APC government has destroyed our economy.
They took over an economy with a growth of seven per cent and brought it down
to less than two per cent. Today, we are witnessing the most insecure situation
in Nigeria ever since APC took over.”
He said, “Today, we have the highest unemployment rate in this
country. More than 10 million of our people have been made unemployed under the
watch of the APC administration.”
Atiku said he would work with other compatriots in the PDP to
secure the party’s nomination for the presidential election. He explained that
rebuilding the economy and reuniting the country will be his major priorities
if elected president.
“What the PDP is going to do is to restore our economy, restore
hope of a greater Nigeria and ensure that we have security of lives and
property.
“I, therefore, appeal to all of you wherever you may be that it is
time to now re-embrace the party that has given us unity, prosperity and
security in this country,” he stated.
Atiku, who returned to PDP from APC last year, said PDP maintained
an “unequalled record of growing our economy for the benefit of all.”
He vowed to reclaim the state for PDP, saying, “l took this state
to the PDP, today, l have come to reclaim what belongs to PDP.”
He said he was overwhelmed by the reception by his people and
their support for his ambition, recalling similar events in 1998, when was
received by mammoth crowds of supporters before the 1999 election, when he was
running mate to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
In his own comments, Senator Ben Bruce, who spoke on behalf of
other senators, said, “The turnout is one of a kind. Never been anything like
this. Indeed, power is returning to the people, let’s join hands to get Nigeria
working.”
Bruce said the country needed a detribalized leader like Atiku.
Bruce said the country needed a detribalized leader like Atiku.
“We cannot continue to live in a country where people are being
killed every day. We need someone who can salvage and move the country forward
like Atiku. We need to keep hope alive. With people like Atiku, we have hope.”
The event, which had in attendance about 400 Atiku support groups
from across the country, also witnessed the defection of people from APC and
other parties to PDP. Secondus and chairman of PDP in Adamawa State, Barrister
Tahir Shehu, received the new defectors, which included commissioners in the
incumbent government of the APC in the state under Governor Mohammed Jibrilla
Bindow, Assembly members representing Lamurde , Michika , Leko-Coma state
constituencies, and Guyuk local council boss and all his councillors.