Ahead 2019, former ministers, lawmakers lead PDP in states

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appears to have taken its vow to take back power come 2019 with all seriousness as prominent members like former ministers and lawmakers in previous PDP administrations have taken charge of the affairs of the party in some states of the federation after its recently held congresses. The plan according to sources close to the party is to ensure that the party makes hay in future elections in order to be restored to power at the centre come 2019. In Plateau State, Hon. Damishi Sango former Minister of Sports was elected as Chairman of the party in the state. Sango was returned elected with other executive members after the party held its congress in the state, last Wednesday in Jos. The former Minister polled 758 votes to defeat his closest rival and former member, House of Representatives, Hon. Bitrus Kaze who scored 222 votes. Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Mallam Mustapha Habib, while declaring the results of the congress, explained that the election was conducted in accordance with section 45 sub-section 5 of the party’s constitution. Habib said: “I am glad we have conducted this election successfully, and now a new crop of people are elected to man the affairs of the party in this state. It was not easy, but with the help of God, it was hitch free”. In his acceptance speech, Hon. Sango promised to use his wealth of experience as one of the founding fathers of the party to take it to an enviable height saying one of his cardinal programmes would be to reconcile all aggrieved members of the party, with a view to making it bounce back. He expressed optimism that the party would return to power in 2019, adding that its structure in the state was still intact. His words: “PDP is at the moment on sabbatical leave, it is not death; our structure is still intact, nobody has decamped from the party. APC is strange to our place, to us on the Plateau, but I want to assure that by 2019, this strange party and its cohorts will have no business with the Government House in Rayfield. “For those of us who are old among the new executive, we have the wisdom, while the young ones have the strength, we shall combine the two to ensure we cross the Rubicon”, he said, assuring that he would carry every member of the party along, adding that his mode of administration would be grassroot based. Speaking after the results were declared, former Governor of the state and Senator representing Plateau North Senatorial District, Jonah Jang, said PDP is a party with internal democracy and called on those who lost in the contest to close ranks and work with the present leadership to rebuild the party. “We are one in PDP, and in any contest there must be a winner and a loser, so I urge those who lost to come so we can rebuild the party so as to capture power in 2019,” he said. In Kaduna State, former Minister of State for Power, Mr. Hassan Hyat, was returned as the Chairman of the party. The Prince Tajudeen Aleshinloye 11-man PDP Congress Committee returned Hyat following the withdrawal of seven other contestants in the chairmanship race. The congress was conducted at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna city. Bronco Jumare was elected Deputy Chairman. He polled 876 votes out of the 950 delegates, while Ibrahim Aliyu Wusono polled 767 votes to emerge as Secretary. Shehu Giant, former Chairman of Kaduna North Local Government Area, got 551 votes to emerge as the Zonal Vice Chairman of Kaduna Central Zone. Mr. Lucas Zamani and Tsahe Kargi were also returned unopposed as zonal vice men for Southern and Northern Zones of the state respectively. Twenty five officials emerged through consensus out of the 29 offices available. Four, including Secretary, Deputy Chairman, Youth Leader and Zonal Vice Chairman for Kaduna Central, were contested for. In Nasarawa State, a former lawmaker in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Francis Orogu, was elected as new chapter chairman. Announcing the result in Lafia, Secretary of the PDP Electoral Congress Committee in the state, Mr. Sabo Danladi, declared Francis Orogu as winner of the election having defeated two others candidates. Orogu polled 298 votes to defeat his opponents Hassan Yakubu and Danjuma Musa who got 187 and four votes respectively. “Orogu scored the highest number of votes and has met the requirements of the law so he is hereby declared as the new PDP Chairman in the state,” he said. Only three positions were contested in the election – Chairmanship, Public Relations Officer (PRO) and Secretary while others were returned unopposed. For the Secretary position, Adamu Bako polled 173 votes to defeat Dr. Maijama Kwoso and Abdullahi Rinze who scored 172 and 63 votes respectively while Umar Bala polled 178 votes to emerge as PRO after defeating Mohammed Akwai and Usman Aliyu who scored 137 and 26 respectively. In his remarks, Francis Orogu expressed gratitude to the delegates and indeed leaders of the party for the confidence reposed in him and promised to unite the party.