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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the February 25 election, Atiku Abubakar, has lamented the various crises rocking the party, calling for stock taking towards finding a lasting solution.
Atiku spoke on Thursday at a reception organised for new and returning governors elected on the PDP platform in Abuja.
The former vice president noted that the PDP, which started as a major party in 1999, is losing its dominance, urging its leaders and members to work together to ensure that the party regain its position as the leading political party in the country.
“This is a very important challenge that requires a whole day seminar so that we can, as a party, regain our eminent position in the country.
“We all know that the PDP did not lose the last election. So, we should be determined and focused on retrieving our mandate that has been stolen,” he said.
Also, former Vice President Namadi Sambo said many state chapters of the PDP were enmeshed in crises and called for unity and cooperation to move the party forward
He said the situation of PDP in some states called for urgent intervention of the party’s national leadership.
“What is happening in some states today is very unfortunate. I will give an example of Kaduna State. What is happening in Kaduna State today; people are being suspended from the party left, right, and centre without due process.
“I want to seize this opportunity to publicly ask the acting national chairman to look into what is happening in Kaduna State, because all the ingredients for trouble and problems in the party are taking place,” he said.
The party’s acting national chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, said there was no cause for alarm as the party had the capacity to settle its internal issues.
Damagum called on the governors-elect to take the issue of the PDP Governors Forum (PGF) serious as it was the backbone of the party.
Meanwhile, members of the G-5 governors- Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) were absent at the event.