By Jude Opara
Senator Sandy Onoh of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday obtained the expression of interest and nomination forms with a firm promise to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the forthcoming 2027 presidential election.
Sen. Onoh who addressed newsmen shortly after obtaining the document said the election will be easy to win because most Nigerians have lost confidence in the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said he decided to show interest following the numerous pressures he received and so decided to go with the PDP.
The former Local Government Chairman further described the PDP as a legacy party of character, resilience that also showed Nigeria the way democracy should be practiced.
“We are very proud of the PDP and to say we have overcome the worst challenges. We have weathered the storm and emerged successful. If you have seen PDP in its days of glory, buckle up for that era is returning. The people are the centre piece of the PDP”.
Onoh equally took a swipe at some of the former members of the party whom he noted got the opportunity to rise in their political career, and are now working against the party.
“It’s regrettable that most of the people who once rose to high positions under the platform of the PDP have refused to see reasons to stop destroying the party. Whether they see reasons or not, the PDP has moved on. The party is in the race to win, if I get the ticket”.
When asked about the situation where the National Leader of the party, Barr. Nyesom Wike is a staunch supporter of the President, and has also publicly declared that he will support the President’s bid for re-election, Onoh said Wike is free to support anyone he likes, adding that as a man of integrity, he earlier informed the party before accepting the appointment from the APC government.
“Barrister Nyesom Wike is indisputably, the leader of the party, but he is not the party. The fact that I’m running is a function of persuasion, deep persuasion, from several stakeholders of the party cutting across the country.
“Like I said, Wike has made it clear. Even before he took office, he got to the party, wrote to the party, and sought their permission, they granted it. Now he is serving the government as Minister of the Federal Republic.
“If Nyesom Wike does not support President Tinubu, Nigerians will condemn him for lacking in integrity and probity. So he has a right to choose to support President Tinubu, and he has made that open and obvious.
“And I think that anyone with integrity should act that way. But the fact that he, as an individual, and even as leader of the party, has chosen to support the president, does not mean that that is the direction this party will go. This party has chosen to have a presidential candidate who will fight for election, as any other person will fight for it”.
In his remarks, National Chairman of the PDP, Hon. Abdulrhaman Mohammed thanked all the party faithful for their support, which he said led to the recent victory of the party in the court. He added that the victory is for the people and that efforts must be made to return the PDP to the people, as the rightful owners.
Mohammed also told the aspirant to maintain his reach and contacts across the entire 774 local government areas of the country, even as he assured that the PDP will give its platform everyone who wants to contest for any elective position in the country.
“We are not here to deny any member the opportunity to express their ambition. I must equally recall all the support of the aspirant to the party during the trying times and for remaining a loyal party man since 1998 without defecting to any other party”.
Earlier, Hon. Augustine Efere, Deputy National Organizing Secretary who represented the National Organizing Secretary, Umar Bature while presenting the nomination forms to the aspirant said the exercise has debunked the claims that the PDP will not present a presidential candidate 2027.
Sen. Onoh is the first aspirant to pick the PDP nomination forms.
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