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Says party has no reason criticizing outsiders for its crisis
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As Damagum insists no South South zonal congress held
By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri said on Thursday that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is bigger than any individual and that its internal challenges would be fixed once the members resolve to tackle them.
The governor said this while answering questions from journalists at the inauguration of South-South zonal executives at the PDP national secretariat, Wadata House, Abuja.
Diri advised that the leadership of the party needed to look inwards and deliberately work together and resolve all their issues instead of pointing accusing fingers on other parties.
He said, “But the main question now becomes if the PDP would serve as a ready and vibrant opposition going forward, we have to look inwards. If you listen to the BOT chairman, we have to, first of all, fix our own problems.
“It’s very easy for you to point these same fingers at people from outside. But what is happening within us?
“And so, the PDP has to sit back and then fix its own internal issues and challenges, that is only when you can stand up to compete with others.
“For me, I want the PDP to be competitive with other political parties.
“We are indeed the oldest political party in Nigeria so, we have no reason to be accusing outsiders.
“Let us look inwards and fix our challenges and I’m sure by the time we do that, we will be out there to be very competitive.
“The political will is with the people, the members of the party and we are all members of the party.
“So, the moment we all come to that resolution, that we need to fix our party, there can be no one person that is bigger than the party. That’s my take”.
In his opening address the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Amb. Umar Damagum challenged some of thecparty leaders for working against the interest of the party.
Damagum reiterated that the South South zonal congress is yet to be conducted bringing to an end the controversy surrounding the purported south south zonal congress, attended by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike and former governor of Rivers State, Donald Duke that took place in Calabar, where Chief Dan Orbih was re-elected as the leader of the zone.
Damagum said, “This is a very important occasion and I think I want to use this opportunity to tell us that there was no election as far as this party is concerned, in the South-South.
“I have to make this clear, because the tenure of the Zonal Committee has expired and we still have a few weeks or a month or so to do the Zonal Congresses. So we find it necessary to come up with this caretaker committee.
“I also want to use this opportunity to tell Nigerians that this party, the PDP, is still the party to beat. A party that has been tested for 27 years, one of the oldest parties.
‘All these shenanigans you see around, the APC, the others, have not been more than 10 years old and if you’ve grown up to be up to 27 years and still standing, still counting, then there is no guarantee more than that.
“The PDP is the guarantee for Nigerians to change the course of what is happening today in our country. I also want to use this opportunity to caution our leaders, don’t fear them.
“Nobody is going to change your destiny for you other than yourself. I’ve noticed maybe because of fears, you find sometimes leaders encouraging this present administration at the center. I find it really very disgusting. Let’s tell ourselves the truth” he said.
In his acknowledgement speech, Caretaker Chairman of the South South zonal committee, Emmanuel Ogidi said the committee will serve the party diligently and ensure that the PDP becomes a untied party in the zone.
His words, “I want to assure you that by the grace of God, we will discharge our duties dispassionately to the glory of God.
“I want to thank everybody present. I will assure you that what is expected of us, we are going to do it.
“In fact, we are going to listen to the advice of the chairman in his speech.
“He has charged us and by the grace of God, we will do our best” Damagum stated.
Members of the zonal committee include:
Chief Emmanuel Ogidi (Chairman); Hon. Nicholas Ayuwa (member), Barr. Godwin Akpan Udonta (member), Bekewei Ashanti (member), Idehen Ebomoyi (member), Dame Vivian Ahanmisi (member), Damiete Herbert-Miller (Secretary) and Chris Uduoaka (Administrative Secretary).
