Former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the last election, Atiku Abubakar, has lamented what he called the receding glory of PDP.
Atiku, who stated this in Abuja at a reception organized for returning and newly elected governors on the platform of the party, however urged party leaders and stakeholders to reflect on prevailing challenges in the party and design strategies that will enable the PDP reclaim its dominance in the political space.
However key members of the aggrieved PDP governors, popularly called G-5 governors were absent at the gathering which was also meant to start off a fence-mending process in the party.
Governors Nyesom Wike, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Samuel Ortom, Okezie Ikpeazu and Seyi Makinde of Rivers, Enugu, Benue, Abia and Oyo States respectively were absent.
They neither sent representatives nor sent apologies for their absence.
Recall that the five governors opposed Atiku’s candidacy and boycotted the reception event organized for new and returning PDP governors.
They further worked against the PDP in the February 25 presidential election, contributing, in part, to the party’s poor performance at the polls.
But speaking at the event yesterday Atiku said, “We have a number of challenges. We started as a dominant political party in 1999, but since then, we have been receding. It is time to take stock and find out why we are receding and how we can make sure that our position as the leading political party in the country can be regained.
“This is a very important challenge that requires a whole day seminar so that we can as a party regain our eminent position in the country,” he said.
Atiku asked party leaders and members to remain hopeful of victory at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
“We all know that the PDP did not lose the last election. We should be determined and focus on retrieving our mandate that has been stolen,” the former Vice President said.
On his part, former vice president and chairman of the occasion, Namadi Sambo, urged togetherness among party members. He however lamented the treatment meted out to some PDP members especially in Kaduna State where he hails from.
“What is happening in some states today is very unfortunate. What is happening in Kaduna State today where people are being suspended from the party without due process, is worrisome.
“I want to seize this opportunity to publicly ask the acting National Chairman to look into what is happening in Kaduna State, because all the ingredients for trouble and problems in the party are taking place,” he said.
Acting PDP national chairman Umar Damagum said that issues affecting the party were being addressed by the National Working Committee (NWC)
He added that Nigerians are desirous of seeing justice done at Election Tribunal, noting “The only solution for the common man is to have a just adjudication in the election petition.”
The chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and Governor of Sokoto State,Aminu Tambuwal described the event as a moment of joy, “a moment for learning and support,” adding that “the mandate freely given to our party and candidate will be restored by the court.”
Speaking on the theme, “Good governance at the sub-national level: Issues, perspectives, expectations and outcomes, keynote speaker, Mudal Lawal tasked the returning and Governors-elect to put emphasis on performance management, fiscal performance indicators, fiscal resilience and devolution of powers.
He also urged the governors to prioritise appointing the right people into offices, stressing that with the right appointees, policies and programmes of government would run with ease.
“Appoint the right people. You must be resilient in your ability to meet operational costs with your Internally Generated Revenue. Equally important is a robust monitoring and evaluation system,” he said.
Lawal enjoined the governors to be prudent in the management of resources, noting that debt to service ratio is becoming an issue of governance in public administration in the country over the past couple of years.
At the event were governor-elect of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, his Plateau and Zamfara States counterparts, Caleb Mutfwang and Dauda Lawal; Taraba State governor-elect, Agbu Kefas as well as Peter Mbah of Enugu State.
The Rivers State governor-elect, Simi Fubara was absent at the event.
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