In so far as the freedom of association is guaranteed under our constitution, Nigerians are becoming more enlightened to know and identify these principal actors that had used the democratic mantra to undermine our unity and national development. These people only believe that democratic norms are better served when they alone are in charge.
I wish to call on Nigerians that the biggest challenge to our unity and national development is not the proliferation of mushroom political gang ups, but a stronger commitment to an increasing democratic ethos. Those parading themselves as PDP stalwarts or stakeholders itching to form new political associations are in fact military apologists and nomadic political activists with no genuine political credential looking for a political window to position themselves for economic settlement or advantage. An inquiry into the background of these people will show that they are the same people that superintended over the affairs of the PDP with impunity for over a decade and are responsible for the problems which they now claim to have a cure.
I will therefore call on all PDP faithful to remain resolute as the leadership of our party led by Sen. Alimodu Sheriff is committed to eliminating all forms of lawlessness and impunity perpetrated by this gang members who are now trying to confuse our teeming supporters. If these dissidents are confused, I will appeal to our members not to pay any meaningful attention to them or also get confused. The tap root of our party, the Peoples Democratic Party is at the grassroots, the wards and not in the hotel lobbies in the metropolis. These dissidents cannot in one breath pursue a course of litigation at the apex court and also fail to align themselves with basic democratic principles by trying to use loud voice to cover up weak points to justify their actions. They are frustrated because they have failed to manipulate the political process to generate their desired selfish result or advantage.
I can assure PDP loyalists, members and committed stakeholders to remain resolute as the National Chairman, Sen Ali Modu Sheriff is already succeeding in bringing the party to the glorious days that gave hope and confidence to the electorate and ensured our electoral success for sixteen years.
The principles of law are entrenched and does not change whimsically. The other people have already given indication that their body and soul is no longer in the PDP and it will be highly speculative of what will happen at the Supreme Court and thereafter. It will be an act of anticipatory hindsight for me to contemplate the likelihood of the supreme court judgement.
Look from what you already know they are the ones we hear are trying to register a new party, we are not the ones registering the new party which means that it is not our desire to go anywhere, we are in the PDP. If you care to know they are trying to use this new political party to negotiate because when the anti-corruption way get to them they will try to hide under the new part claiming that they are being witch hunted as a result of their new political affiliation.
QUESTION: Don’t you think your party will appear stronger together against the ruling party APC as the 2018 campaign season draws near?
RESPONSE: Those people who you think are PDP are the same people who connived with the opposition party to win the election against their own party. A lot of them are also the same people who couldn’t perform while they were in government and the electorate saw the general elections as an opportunity to vote them out for good. So are these the same people you would like to rely on going forward to 2019? They are the ones killing this party, this impunity we are talking about today, was brought into the party by them. Some of them worked for the then opposition, funded the opposition and worked against the interest of the PDP, even religion was also used against the interest of the party. They just want to hold on to PDP, in fact tell me which of them have not visited the EFCC for one financial issue or the other as regards the last election.
QUESTION: But some of this aggrieved individuals have the experience that the Sheriff leadership needs to enjoy acceptability nationwide, so mending fences with them may seem to be a viable option if PDP seeks to wrestle power in the next general elections.
RESPONSE: What have really changed about these individuals that you in the media keep referring to as founding members that the party cannot do without? The imposition that have bedevilled the party and brought it to where it is today was it not created by them? What else do they have to offer Nigeria other than impunity and lack of internal democracy? They are all military apologist, including some governors who want to perpetually impose candidates on the party without due process which is what Alimodu Sheriff has vowed to resist. So we must call a spare a spare, don’t forget that when you fight corruption it fights back and the same goes with impunity, it fights back.
QUESTION: If you insist that these aggrieved individuals today no longer have the qualities needed to lead a party they founded and now you believe that the party could be better led by a Sheriff who just recently joined the party towards the twilight of 2015 general elections don’t you think that is somewhat difficult for the mind to comprehend?
RESPONSE: Let me ask you now, the people calling most of the shots today in the APC were they not former members of the PDP? The fact is that once the right conditions have been met the right persons can handle any position and drive the party forward. Remember that Gulak won that case in court and then assumed the Chairmanship of the party but they refused him which is the same impunity we are talking about today. Do you know what they told Gulak? Do you know what they asked him to go and bring, before they brought in Sheriff to come and fight on their behalf. A plan to continue their imposition and impunity in the party which eventually backfired. Impunity must end in the PDP, in fact this kind of conflict is not bad because it will help to resolve a lot of things that have gone wrong in the past. I can tell you at this point that Sen. Alimodu Sheriff was divinely sent by God to rid Nigerian politics of impunity, he is the only cure to impunity not only in the PDP but also in the APC and all other political parties as well because they will all learn from what is happening today in the PDP.
So until they try to force out somebody and the person resists and they fail they will not learn from it.
QUESTION: We are less than 18months to the next campaign season and general elections. With this back and forth, unending legal tussles and lack of compromise being witnessed within the PDP, a party that carries the only credible hope of political opposition against a ruling APC that has failed to deliver on so many of its campaign promises to Nigerians. Do you still see any hope for Nigerians who still keep their faith in the PDP, a party fighting against itself?
