How I will return PDP to winning days – Adeniran

……Says Fayose may drop his presidential ambition
A chairmanship aspirant in the December 9 convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof Tunde Adeniran has disclosed that he has perfected a three way strategy to re-position the party to its winning ways starting from the 2019 general elections.

Prof. Adeniran stated this at the PDP National Headquarters in Abuja when he returned his National Chairmanship nomination form.

The aspirant said that members of the party have realised the misdeeds that led to the catastrophic loss it suffered during the last general election.

He said that he has a three strategic approach to correct the anomalies and return the party to the dream of the founding fathers.

He said, “Firstly, within ourselves there are certain mistakes we made in the past, especially lack of internal democracy which has to be corrected.

“Secondly, the vision of our founding fathers to uplift democracy and carry the people along, inadequate unity among party members will be strengthened.

“We shall harmonise all grievances, bring all together when we veer off course, we must come back,” he said.

The chairmanship hopeful stressed that the programme of the party from the onset tilted towards equity, justice and fair play without which a party cannot grow. He said that the party will embark on serious mentoring programme and leadership education that is sustainable and practical not rhetorics.

He further said that when he assumes office, women and youths will be given all necessary empowerment.

According to him, the youths will have to be re-positioned to make them more productive, adding that he will ensure that there is equity and justice which will make more youths and women have more confidence in the party and participate more actively in political activities.

“Expectations have been dashed, hopes have been lost and people are asking when it will end. We are prepared to sell our programme to the people and when they see new faces, they will trust us,” Adeniran stated.

On the insinuations that he might succumb to pressure and step down for another candidate he replied, “Am not jettisoning my ambition, am going ahead.

I have a pact with the PDP which cannot be implemented by any other person and members of the PDP trust me. It is a pact for new beginning, a pact for a new PDP.

When confronted with the fact that Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State is also interested in occupying the presidency in 2019, and that it may scuttle his chances of getting the prime position in the party as both are from the same state, he replied that Fayose may discover the odds against him and drop his ambition.

The aspirants expressed optimism that Governor Fayose will lead the delegation from Ekiti State that will give him total vote.

“My governor is interested in being the President of the country, but everyday he seems to realise that the party has zoned the position to the North.

I believe he will make a U-turn and lead the delegation that will produce me as the next National Chairman of the PDP.”

Also speaking at another fora, Prof Adeniran promised to overrun the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the 2019 presidential election if he becomes the National Chairman of the party.

Adeniran made the promise when his delegation paid a courtesy visit on the Cross River State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade in Calabar to canvass for the governor’s support during the coming national convention.

He said the party, having played the opposition role in the last few years, needs an experienced National Chairman who will confront the challenges facing it head on, saying he was offering his service as a response to the needs of the party.

“We want to ensure that the party is revived and I want to say that if I am the party chairman, we will not be in the opposition after the next election,” he said, promising to carry everybody along even as he hoped that Governor Ayade will give him the needed support during the convention.

Also speaking, a member of the Board of Trustees, Prof. Jerry Gana assured that with Prof. Adeniran as chairman, the party will reinvent itself, noting that he has the experience and integrity to rework the party and bring it to winning ways.

Gana, a former Minister of Information, said the party was in need of a mature leader who will carry every party member along, promising that the chairmanship of Adeniran was a way to learn from the mistakes of the past.

Replying, the state governor, Prof. Ben Ayade expressed surprise at the lack of consensus by contestants despite efforts to get them to agree, saying such attitude was not healthy for the party.

“Power is like a wind; it will soon blow away. It is not good when efforts have been made to find a common ground only to meet a blockade.

This is not healthy for our party. It is only a successful success that can be successfully secured,” Ayade said.

Myke Uzendu, Abuja, Edem Bassey, Calabar