PDP: Youth Are The Answer Come 2023

Nigeria: PDP Govs Hold Meetings in UK, Spain on Consensus Presidential Candidate

In a bid to ensure that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerges through a consensus arrangement, the governors elected on the platform of the party have undertaken two European tours in quick succession, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
THISDAY gathered that the governors held strategic meetings in those tours as part of their ongoing efforts to ensure that the issue of the presidential candidate of the party does not polarise its members along regional lines.

The investigation has also revealed that the governors were also billed to meet Sunday night in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, after a reception to be held in honour of the new Chairman of the party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that Ayu’s utterances during his inauguration have shown that the sole intent of the opposition party is to grab power by any means in 2023.
The first European tour by the PDP governors, it was learnt, was a visit to London moments after the October 30 and 31 national conventions while the second visit was a visit to Spain last week.

The first visit to London was said to have been undertaken by the governors of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike; Mr. Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Mr. Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom).
Among the governors on the second trip to Spain were: Wike; Makinde; Ikpeazu; Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa); and Dr. Samuel Ortom (Benue).

It was also gathered that the governors of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, and Sokoto State,
Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambawul did not attend the meetings due to their ongoing consultations on their presidential aspirations.
A source privy to the strategic meetings told THISDAY last night that Governor Ortom is the architect of a consensus presidential candidate for the PDP and would host the meeting in Makurdi tonight.
According to the source, the PDP governors while in London met a former Senate President, Dr. Bukola

Saraki.

He further disclosed that it was from London that Saraki arrived in Lagos last week to receive the Lagos APC members, who defected to the opposition party
“PDP governors from the South agreed at the London meeting that they must play a significant role in the choice of who will fly the party’s presidential ticket,” he said.
He further disclosed that because of Wike’s relationship with Real Madrid Football Club, he travelled, in addition with other governors, with the Adamawa State governor, Fintiri who did not make the earlier London trip.

Congratulation Message to all the elected members of NWC PDP inaugurated on Friday in Abuja. May Allah gives you a mandate of championing the cause of democracy, Ameen

Today's meeting of the Northwest Campaign Team for Atiku 2023 in Kano proves that youth is the only remaining ladder to stardom. It also shows the world how our party is serious with youth potentiality in anything that has to do with leadership, the meeting will open many avenues for the youth to actualize their dream through a joint venture between them and old-timers in the party.

Weekend Greetings to the family of our great party the PDP: Let our leaders bury their differences and continue to be one family and choose one formidable person among them to fly the flag of presidential aspirant come 2023. They should also come together to choose people who have experience in politics to aspire at all levels, for the party to emerge, winner, during the forthcoming elections they should also give youth and women good share so that the world would understand it's only the party that can champion the cause of democracy in the country.

PDP IS BACK, READY TO WRITE A POSITIVE CHAPTER FOR NIGERIA

(BEING THE OPENING REMARKS BY H.E. Rt Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, CFR, CHAIRMAN PDP GOVERNORS FORUM/SOKOTO STATE GOVERNOR AT THE RETREAT FOR NEWLY ELECTED PDP OFFICERS AT NIGERIAN AIRFORCE CENTRE, KADO DISTRICT, ABUJA ON 23RD AND 24TH NOVEMBER, 2021).

Protocols:

I welcome you all to this Retreat put together for the Newly Elected Officers of the PDP with the Theme: “It is time to Rescue and Rebuild Nigeria”. May I use this opportunity to once again congratulate our newly elected National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, other members of the National Working Committee, and other officers?

This Retreat coming at the heels of the highly acclaimed successful 2021 PDP National Convention is a time to think, plan, ponder and strategize on the way forward. For “by failing to (plan) and prepare, you are preparing to fail” (Benjamin Frankin). It shows unmistakably that the PDP is back. PDP is ready. PDP is poised to write a new positive chapter for Nigeria. A new Nigeria.

A rickety vehicle cannot take Nigeria to its destination as a nation with possibilities for greatness and progress. PDP is now once again a well-oiled, serviced vehicle that will midwife the Nigeria of our dreams.

It is indeed time to Rescue and Rebuild Nigeria. Nigeria is in urgent need of a surgical operation. Nigeria is in a permanent emergency.

We all know what the problems are. They are man-made. And is therefore resolvable. It requires a focused, determined, knowledgeable, and patriotic organization of like minds to build the critical mass necessary for a great leap forward. Yes, it requires leadership, with vision and discipline.

We suffer from a crisis of Governance. The unity of Nigeria is facing unprecedented challenges. Life in Nigeria is increasingly becoming brutish and short as insecurity ravages the land. Poverty is the forte of the ordinary Nigerian. The health and education of our people have not improved. Our people are in want. The economy is in dire straits with the exchange rate now about N540 to a Dollar from the N150 to a Dollar when PDP left office. Prices of foodstuff and essential commodities are unsustainable. Clearly beyond the reach of the average Nigerian.

Between 35 to 40% of Nigerians are unemployed. And women and Youths bear the main brunt. Bandits, kidnappers, terrorists are having a field day. Almost unchallenged. Our children are not safe even in their schools.

Corruption still stalks the land. Nepotism, ethnic and religious bigotry reign supreme in today’s APC’s Nigeria. Our infrastructure is still comatose.

Trust and hope in Nigeria is at their lowest. Our lamentations can go on, ad infinitum. But the test of leadership is the ability to solve problems. What solutions will PDP offer? What is the way forward?

Well, this is why we have gathered here, to brainstorm and offer policy options for Nigeria. We cannot only criticize, we must provide workable solutions and clear policy alternatives. This will be presented to the Nigerian people. A sharp contrast must be drawn with the ruling incompetent and rudderless APC administration.

PDP has shown that it has learned its lessons. It is ready for power in 2023. To provide hope where ineptitude currently exists.

Where APC thrives in excuses, PDP will take responsibility. Where APC thrives in propaganda and deceit, PDP will be transparent with Nigerians. Whereas APC Government thrives in insecurity, PDP will secure Nigeria. Whereas APC presides over Nigeria as the poverty capital of the world, PDP will make Nigeria prosperous. APC has wrecked our economy, but PDP will salvage it. Where APC focuses on the selective anti-corruption fight, PDP will fight corruption with appropriate institutional reforms.

This Retreat has assembled an array of experienced experts, political party administrators, economists, and other faculties.

While we await these interventions, permit me to mention an issue of great importance. Nigeria must embrace restructuring to survive. It must restructure its polity, economy, security, and ways of doing things. It must embrace relative autonomy and decentralization of power. This will unleash the energies of our people, especially, the young. It is time to allow Nigeria to blossom. It is doable with all hands on deck.

Secondly, we must embrace innovation and technology as a way of life. Technology will solve the youth unemployment time bomb. Technology will improve our agriculture, health, industrialization, education, and indeed, it has implications and impacts on all facets of our lives. It is in this respect that we continue to condemn the Twitter ban as a retrogressive action that should never have happened.

Can Nigeria survive another 4 years of APC? The answer is a resounding No. It is too frightening to contemplate.

PDP remains the only credible alternative to APC and we cannot afford to fail Nigerians. We must keep hope alive. We can do it. Yes, we can, as Obama would say.

The revitalized PDP shall be true to the words of our national anthem, “To build a nation where peace and justice shall reign.” (I edited it)