The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, has hinted of the likelihood of the party choosing its 2023 presidential candidate by consensus.
He spoke against the backdrop of his election as the party’s consensus candidate in the October 31 national convention.
Most members of his newly inaugurated executive committee were also chosen through consensus.
“If the PDP could come together to agree on a particular individual for chairman, it means it was capable too of coming together to produce one single candidate to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the presidential election,” he said.
The party chairman spoke on Sunday during an interdenominational thanksgiving service organised in his honour by the Benue State chapter of the PDP.
But in a statement yesterday, he noted that should the party fail in adopting the consensus option for its presidential candidate, all aspirants for the PDP ticket would be treated fairly.
“Every aspirant that will come forward for the presidential election will be treated fairly, with equity and with fairness. There will be a level-playing field for everybody,” Ayu said.
The party chairman restated his earlier declaration that the PDP would make a clean sweep of the Presidency, the two chambers of the National Assembly as well as a minimum of 25 governorship seats.
He urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the country, saying though the ruling party’s leadership has failed, the PDP was coming on a rescue mission.
Ayu dismissed fears that Nigeria was headed for a collapse, assuring Nigerians and the international community that a PDP administration post-2023 would pull the country from the brink.
He said: “We want Nigerians to take note that we started this battle with 21 state governors. And we built it to 28 state governors. Those mistakes that were made, that made us to lose elections in 2015, will be corrected.
“Do not lose hope because of a small collection of people who have come to divide Nigeria and to destroy our country.
“Keep hope alive. PDP is back. And PDP will be back with good governance and good policies. The economy will expand. Nigerians will come back to work. Nigerians will produce and export. Nigeria will be a great country once more.
“I want to assure you, all of you who are non-Nigerians, that we are determined as a political party to do the needful, that is unite ourselves, work hard, mobilise fellow Nigerians, take over power, rebuild our country, and then shame those foreign detractors who are prophesying doom, that Nigeria is going to break up.
“Nigeria is not going to break up. Nigeria will remain united, productive, respected and be in the forefront of world affairs. Very soon, you will see what I am telling you. We have done it before and we will do it again.”
The Nation
