PDP has done away with impunity, impositions and substitutions – Umahi

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), South-East Zonal Caucus recently met in Umuahia under the leadership of Chief Austin Umahi, National Vice Chairman, South East. The meeting which was held behind closed doors came out with a decision of the zone to harmonise their positions before the forthcoming elective convention. In this interview, Chief Umahi disclosed that the zone in particular and the party at the national level has concluded plans to do away with impunity, impositions and substitutions. SUNDAY NWAKANMA who was there reports

Today, the caucus of the PDP met in Umuahia. What are we expecting?
Well, the essence of the meeting is in preparation for our national elective convention. And it is very important that as a zone, we meet to iron out some issues, and it was a very good deliberation, very fantastic and attended by governors, DSP, National Assembly members, all the state chairmen, all the states’ working committee and then, BOTs

We hear that the position of the Vice President and that of the national chairman of the party was zoned to the South. How do you intend to share the positions between the South-East, South West and South-South?
Well, when we get to the bridge, we will cross it. For now we are talking of elective convention and we cannot start discussing anything outside that which comes in less than a week’s time.

What are we expecting from the convention and who is chairing it?
By the special grace of God, the convention is coming soon and will be chaired by His Excellency, Ifeanyi Okowa, the governor of Delta State and we expect him at his best.

One thing that makes us to be optimistic is that PDP has come to stay and is the only party that you can come into in this country and you see in all the nooks and cranny of the country and which is represented in every ward and community.

So PDP is not owned by any individual and that is why it has its own internal mechanism that keeps it going and working. That is why we expect the best.

In this convention, we expect nothing but the best and they are going to come out very strong by the special grace of God.

Are you expecting that PDP will now turn around and do away with impunity, imposition and substitution that characterised the party in the past and which is the bane of the party?
This is exactly what we started before we went into litigation. During the legal tussle, we had 12 syndicates and all these things were ironed out.

I am sure that very soon, the party will start implementing these syndicate proposals, I can assure you that with what is going on now, there is nothing like imposition.

There could be a harmonisation, but there is nothing like imposition. In the way and manner we are going, we have learnt our bitter lessons.

This is because, what happened to PDP in 2015 election, they won’t want the history to be repeated and that is why we are very conscious of every decision we take and there is another mechanism we have even adopted.

They are already before the convention. We have the post-convention reconciliation committee because we are going into a contest and in a condition you see five to six people contesting and at the end of the day, one person will emerge.

One may feel wronged but you have that latitude to still get you back on stream and make sure that we move ahead as one.

So, we see a good convention, we see a successful convention and we see a convention that is going to transcend to be example of how convention should be held in this country.

This is because what is really PDP? PDP is about democracy and that is why everybody is yearning for the party to come on board. Nigerians are yearning for the party to come on board because this is the right to get it right.