The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday declared that it will not engage in vote-buying, saying it was targeting the votes of 10million youths in the 2023 general election.
The party stated this while flagging off its sensitisation tour for collection of Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) ahead of the 2023 elections.
Party leaders, including the national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba; national women leader, Prof Stella Effa-Attoe, and the national youth leader of the party, Muhammed Suleiman, led the campaign in a road show on the major streets of Abuja.
On the target for the exercise, national youth leader of the party, Muhammed Suleiman, said, “We are targeting 10 million youth and they will vote for PDP come 2020.”
He added that they decided to embark on the sensitisation tour to mobilise and re-orientate youths to come out and register and to get their PVCs because it is the only way to get good governance in Nigeria.
“We have seen what is happening in the country – the rate of unemployment, insecurity. All the students are at home for over five months. So we believe those comments you’re seeing on social media will turn to vote come 2023.”
Reacting to the strategies of other parties in mobilising youths, he said, “We have 36 state youth leaders, we have six zonal leaders, we’re all working together to mobilize Nigerians so that they can vote for the PDP come 2023.”
On her part, the national women leader, Etta-Attoe said, “PDP is not a party that is involved in vote-buying and PDP is not going to do that even in the 2023 elections. So, we are very aware that the system of voting now has become so much improved.
“We are looking at the electronic aspects of voting. So, the party is very very aware. And that is why this sensitisation is going on. And that is why we are telling the generality of Nigerians, especially the women and the youth, that the ballot counts. Voting is not done on phone.
“Voting is not done in the social media. So, they need this sensitisation so that they will go out there to register and I keep saying to Nigerians, it is not enough to register, register, go back and collect your PVC and it is not enough to go back and collect your voter cards.
“Don’t go home and dump them in your cupboards or in your wardrobes. Bring them out during elections and go out there to vote. Every vote counts in Nigeria today because our system has gone electronical,” she said.
On his part, Ologunagba, said the “What we are doing today is to sensitise Nigerians, particularly youth and women on the need for us to participate actively in the democratic process by collecting permanent voter cards and ensuring that we participate in the 2023 general elections.”
Wike Won’t Dump PDP – Waziri
Meanwhile a former minister of Police Affairs, Adamu Waziri, yesterday said Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, will not dump the PDP over being passed over for the running mate position to the PDP presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
He added that he has Wike’s commitment that he won’t leave the party and would work for the party’s victory in 2023.
He however added that the choice of running mate has been concluded, adding that there is no going back on the decision.
“The presidential candidate has emerged. The vice presidential candidate has emerged. What’s remains is for us to come together and forge ahead,” he stated.
Waziri who spoke on a Channels TV programme, Politics Today, also denied claims by Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, that there was a voted among 17 member advisory committee members which favored Wike’s over Delta State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa who eventually got the position.
Waziri also recounted his meeting with Wike in Istanbul, Turkey, saying he briefly met with the Rivers State governor and that he assured him that they would talk later.
The former minister who noted that he and Wike met at the front of the hotel in Istanbul said they exchanged banters and joked just as he noted that he didn’t know Wike was lodged in the same hotel.
Expressing support for Wike to be offered the director general position of the PDP campaign, he said the “possibility of Wike not working with Atiku is unthinkable. It won’t happen.
“I know him I have interacted with him. I have his commitment. And I believe he is a man of his words,” he added.
