The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it is rebuilding to takeover power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
PDP National Chairman Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, at a meeting with former PDP governors and ministers who served in PDP government, said the party has learnt its lessons and is ready to correct them.
Turaki restated his pledge to take the party back to the people, and assured party leaders that the newly elected National Working Committee (NWC) is prepared to take advice on how to move the party forward.
“This is a new PDP,” he said, adding, “I want to to assure Nigerians that PDP is their party. Please take back your party and in doing so, tell us what you want.
“And having admitted that mistakes have been made, it means then that we now are ready to correct those mistakes.”
The National Chairman stated that the desire is to ensure that PDP comes to power again, “and then in our desire also to make sure that indeed, moving forward, we will ensure that there is transparency.
“We will ensure that there is equity, we will ensure that there is fairness and above all, that there is justice in what PDP will be doing as far as our relationship with Nigerian people are concerned.
He assured that things would be done differently, and expressed the belief that the new leadership would be enriched by the advice from the party leaders.
Turaki noted that PDP built strong institutions when it ruled the country, and as well grew the nation’s economy, and said that was the reasons why Nigerians want PDP back to power.
Former Niger State governor, Mu’Azu Babangida Aliyu, who spoke on behalf of former PDP governors, accused the ruling APC of abuse of leadership.
“Therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure that by 2027, we have done so well enough to be able to give succour; to be able to give hope, to be able to help Nigerians,” he said.
The former governor who promised the NWC that the former governors are ready to work with them, called for “committed, honest, dedicated and diligent people in our leadership structure like we did in Ibadan.”
He called on those who left the party to have a rethink, noting that a political party should not be something one will join in a hast.
“We must continue to do things in accordance with the rules and regulations as we understand them. We may be disappointed with what has been happening, but again, we must not be discouraged,” he advised.
Former Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau who spoke on behalf of former minister’s, praised the rebuilding process of the party.
“From what I’ve seen, within the last four or five weeks, the chairman has done far more than we expected.
“We are impressed by the performance, the visits, the meetings, and the strong will with which we confronted the evils.
“When we went to inaugurate the newly elected offices at our national headquarters, we defied the tear gas. We defied all the threats by the hired uniformed men; we were able to get into our headquarters.
“The National Chairman addressed the nation from the table and the desk of the National Chairman,” Shekaru stated.
