As the Peoples Democratic Party flags off its presidential campaign today in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, a member of the National Executive Committee of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, has expressed the readiness of the party to carry its message of rebuilding the country to Nigerians wherever they are.
Ologbondiyan, the immediate past National Publicity Secretary of the party, stated this in an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday.
Amidst the lingering crisis in the party pitching five state governors against the National Working Committee on the one hand and the Presidential Campaign Council on the other, Ologbondiyan said the PDP has a way of dealing with its challenges, insisting that in no distant time, whatever crisis currently bedevilling the party would be over.
“Tomorrow (today), our presidential candidate and the campaign council will be in Uyo. We need to understand that crises are normal but what is more important is that those crises must be resolved in the interest of all parties. If you listen to the PCC chairman who is the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel in his comments recently, you will understand what I am saying.
“Governor Udom has said that the PDP had in the past, come out of many crises stronger than before. Regardless of what people are saying today, the party is ready and on a steady march to the presidential villa come 2023,” he said.
It was gathered that the PCC chairman, though supportive of the party’s peace moves, is of the position that programmes and activities must be pursued to keep the momentum.
Ologbondiyan’s successor, Debo Ologunagba, was also optimistic as he noted that Atiku’s Five-Point Agenda “is resonating with Nigerians everywhere we go.”
He said, “The party is ready and so is our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. You keep talking about the crisis but there is no crisis if you ask me. Our leaders are talking and whatever disagreements we have would be resolved.
“On Monday (today), we will take the message of rescuing and rebuilding Nigeria to Uyo and we hope to do this across many cities in Nigeria.
“The PDP is one big family, one Nigerian family and for that reason, we will continue to champion the interest of the country because only a prosperous Nigeria will make all of us proud.”
Following the successful inauguration of the campaign council, the party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar have chosen to go ahead with the party’s activities preparatory for 2023.
This is even as the Board of Trustees prepares to submit a report of its ad-hoc committee on reconciliation.
Although Governor Nyesom Wike and his group are insisting on the removal of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, PCC chairman, Udom Emmanuel and Director General of the Campaign Council and governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal have so far sided with Ayu, arguing that whatever the issues are; same can be dealt with after winning the elections in February next year.
As of press time, it was not clear what options are left for the pro-Wike group given Atiku’s readiness to have Ayu by his side until the elections are over.
