By Folorunso Alagbede, Abuja
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, has predicted the collapse of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) by March/April 2023, describing the party as “a contraption.”
Ayu, who made the prediction at the weekend in Government House, Makurdi, while addressing Benue PDP stakeholders, also reiterated his position that PDP will win at least 25 state governorships, Come 2023.
The former Senate President assured the stakeholders, who included governorship aspirants, that PDP will not impose candidates on the people in the 2023 general elections.
In the words of Ayu, “By March/April 2023, there will be no APC in Nigeria. APC is a contraption, a contraption to win power, but they have no programme or any ideological position on what to do with power.
“Therefore, we will be coming back in every state and at the Federal level to take over power, with a coherent programme of action, and with which we will implement workable policies as we were doing before”, he said.
Ayu was full of praises for the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, saying he has followed the footsteps of late Moses Adasu in supporting his political aspiration.
His dismissed reports of competition between himself and ex-Senate President David Mark, saying it was actually Mark who told him to go for the PDP national chairmanship.
He went on: “I am telling you this story because it shows that at any one time we are united in Benue, definitely Nigeria will not ignore us.
“This is not the first time we have attained victory by our collective effort. “In 2019, when they said there was Federal Might, we said the Allied Forces of Benue were ready for the Federal Might. And we defeated that Federal Might”, he stressed.
On party unity and respect for popular decisions, Ayu said: “I urge us to continue to work together. Don’t be afraid of Federal might. The Allied Forces of Benue are still as united as ever. And today, we are even stronger.
“I believe whoever emerges as a candidate for any elective position, once the list is forwarded to Abuja, I don’t want Gov. Ortom or his candidates to come to lobby.
“This is because the decision of Benue people will be respected at all times.”
While bemoaning the deplorable security situation in the country, especially the daily killings, Ayu encouraged Nigerians not to lose hope as the PDP will coming to rescue and rebuild the battered country.
He said, “Do not lose hope, Nigerians. Do not lose hope in Nigeria just because a small group of people have come to destroy her.
“Let us join hands and get rid of them, and reclaim and rebuild our country,” he added.
The former Senate President thus charged party faithful to intensify work at the ward levels so as to commence the rescue mission from the ground up.
