A group of former House of the Representatives aspirants on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform, yesterday urged the Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike and his aggrieved colleagues to sheathe their sword and pursue a reconciliation in the interest of the party.
The forum however asked the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to not relent in pursuing dialogue with the aggrieved governors until a compromise is reached.
The group named, Reps Aspirants’ Forum For Atiku/Okowa, while lamenting that a house divided against itself cannot stand, said posterity will judge the party leaders for their action and inactions if they fail to rescue the country from All Progressives Congress (APC).
The national chairman of the forum, Danjuma Muhammad, said much as they recognise the rights of every member of the party to make demands and seek for fair inclusion, all grievances can only be addressed within the established democratic rules and order of the organisation.
“Thus we appeal to HE Nyesom Wike to accept the recent resolution of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great party reaffirming confidence in the National Chairman of the Party in good faith no matter how he and his supporters may view the resolution to be at variance with their desires and aspirations. Democracy demands that we tolerate developments that may be personally disagreeable to us but popular with the majority.
“We appreciate the efforts and pragmatism shown by HE, Atiku Abubakar and other well-meaning members of the party to dialogue with HE, Gov. Nyesom Wike and his group and we are urge that this dialogue should continue to be sustained until we achieve consensus and unity in facing the arduous task of dislodging the most incompetent political party in recent memory anywhere in the world from continuing to ruin and endanger the very existence of our country.
“We want to join our voices to call on HE, Gov. Nyesom Wike and his group that their grievances and demand for fair inclusion are well noted and it is time for them to please sheath their sword. No matter the bitterness, no matter the grievances we are better united under one umbrella to deliver PDP for Nigeria.
“As HE Nyesom Wike himself will agree and has repeatedly implied, it is better to fight in your father’s house because you have the right of claims than to go slave in another man’s house. Not all that glitters is gold. This is a clarion call to services, we owe ourselves, we owe our children, we owe generation yet unborn to act to save Nigeria from sinking. Posterity will judge us not only for our actions, but also for our inaction. Let us all join hands and deliver Atiku and Okowa for Nigeria. Let us return power back to the people.
“We equally recognise that no matter our popularity and efforts towards winning the 2023 elections to restore our country back to the trajectory of sanity and progress, unless there exists a safe and conducive atmosphere free from fear and intimidation, no credible elections can be successfully held.”
While he commended the commitment of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in achieving reforms for transparency in the polls, he added that PDP must be quick to call on the APC led federal government to assure Nigerians of adequate security across the country.
He added that the obvious incapacity to ensure security is deliberately designed to compromise the impending elections.
“The undeniable outcry from well meaning citizens that several territories of this country are under the control of bandits particularly in the North West and part of the North Central geopolitical zones coupled with the activities of insurgents in the North East are reasons for concern.
“There are credible reports from persons in authority including governors, ministers and legislators, traditional rulers etc that bandits control several LGAs in the following states: Niger, Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi States that several towns and villages cutting across several LGAs are controlled by bandits who impose levies and protection fees while the government has been impotent to overwhelm these criminals.
“The APC government must assure Nigerians that the breakdown of law and order in these parts of the country which it deliberately has been unwilling to decisively contain will not later serve as an orchestrated excuse to ambush the electorate of this country with any sinister agenda.
“This assurance is imperative to restore the confidence of Nigerians that our excitements and preparations towards a credible, free, fair and transparent election in 2023 will not all end up in disheartening futility.”
