2019: PDP set to woo Obasanjo, Atiku, Saraki, others back to party

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said on Tuesday that it will work towards ensuring that former president Olusegun Obasanjo, erstwhile vice president Atiku Abubakar, Senate President Abubakar Saraki and all those who held top political offices under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) return to the party

The chairman, national caretaker cimmuttee , NCC, of the party, Sen Ahmed Makarfi said this when inaugurating three party committees namely convention, disciplinary and reconciliation.

One time foreign affairs minister, Chief Tom Ikimi heads the disciplinary committee, while governors of Rivers and Gombe States, Nyesom Wike and Ibrahim Dankwambo respectively, will serve as co-chairmen of the reconciliation committee. Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa is heading the convention committee.
It will be recalled that In the buildup to 2015 general election, Obasanjo had monitored the shredding of his PDP membership card and much later declared his resignation from partisan politics.

Atiku and Saraki alongside five PDP governors, namely Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano); Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto); Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, who is now the governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, had led members from the lower chamber into the APC.
While however speaking during the inauguration of the committees yesterday at the PDP national secretariat, Senator
Makarfi charged the reconciliation committee to extend their assignment to the founding members of the party, noting that it should not be restricted to pre-2015 alone.

The party chairman charged members of the committee to reach out to the founding fathers of the party under the aegis of Group of 34 members and ensure that they bring all members who held high positions.in the office back.
He equally tasked the committee to reach out to “former high ranking government officials who came into office under the aegis of the PDP”.

He added, “This includes President, vice, governors and former senate president, speaker of House of Representatives and all other former top ranking members in the party.
“Everybody that was in PDP at one time or the other should be reconciled with.
It is not limited to pre-2015.”

The national chairman who added that committee could also reconcile with politicians who were never members of PDP, however stressed “it must not be based on any conditionalities.”

He added that all of party members who weathered the storm would not be abandoned, adding “We cannot foreclose opportunity for those who stay behind when through the turbulent period of the party.

On his part, former minister of foreign affairs, Tom Ikimi, disclosed that the former PDP members who defected to the APC are on their way back.

The former minister, who was a chairman of the APC merger committee, further said that APC’s 2015 victory was secured by the PDP defectors.

He said “APC is now dying and is almost dead. I am aware that they were able to win in 2015 because of members of PDP who defected there.

“I have it on good authority that key members who left PDP and joined APC are now returning to the party.
I like us to receive then with open hands and we will rebuild the party.”

He added that it is important to instill discipline in the party just as he assured “that we are not out to bring down anybody. We shall do our job scrupulously.”

He noted that we are disciplinary committee will work closely with reconciliation committee to ensure our members who left to return.

On his part, former national publicity secretary of Chief Olisa Metuh, urged the party to remain focused in their constructive criticism of the APC-led government with regards to the state of economy and governance.

He noted that the attitude of this government has not changed, “this government has nothing to offer.
Let us keep our eyes on economy and governance and make them know that PDP can do things better.”

Also, former deputy senate president, Sen Ibrahim Mantu, advised the party “to elect people that will lead us right. We will make sure we get the best leader to lead us.

He continued “Suffering is the other of the day. People are suffering from kwashiorkor. They say they are fighting corruption but it is selective.”

Meanwhile, staffers of the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja yesterday said they are not happy with the sudden change of attitude towards them, especially in areas of their welfare by the leadership of the Party after the Supreme court judgment.