- Charges zoning committee to submit report next week
Former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara (left); House of Representatives Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu; another former senate president, Bukola Saraki and Senator Dino Melaye during the inauguration of members of the 2021 National Convention Organising Committee in Abuja…yesterday Credit: NAN
The Peoples Democratic Party on Friday in Abuja inaugurated a 279-member National Convention Planning Committee headed by the Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri.
Also, it asked the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi-led zoning committee to submit its report within one week, explaining that the timely submission of the zoning committee’s report would facilitate the work of the national convention planning committee.
The committee, which was inaugurated by the PDP Acting National Chairman, Yemi Akinwonmi, has as its secretary the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, as the Deputy Chairman.
Akinwonmi appealed to members of the committee to build on the successes recorded during the 2018 Port Harcourt convention.
He said, “Our last convention in Port Harcourt was adjudged the best ever conducted, by any political apathy in Africa. I, therefore, call on leaders and members of the organising committee to not only sustain but also to improve upon what we experienced in Port Harcourt.”
In his acceptance speech, Fintiri promised to ensure that the October 30-31 convention surpasses others before it in terms of quality.
He later told journalists he was appealing to the party’s zoning committee to expedite action on its assignment to make the job of the convention committee easier.
He said, “I call on the zoning committee to work and conclude their assignment by the end of next week so that we can start our job.
“It is not an order but that is what we least expect from you. Roundup your job so that those who are interested in contesting and occupying these very important positions in our party will start crisscrossing Nigeria.
“Nigeria is not a small country. Nigeria is not Benin or Togo. Nigeria is a very big country. Aspirants need time to go round and sell themselves.”
Briefing journalists after the inauguration, Fintiri, explained that the submission of the report of the zoning committee “is very necessary because that is where our (convention committee) job starts.”
He said: “Without them finishing their assignment, those who would want to contest and some of the preparations, particularly the accreditation cards, ballot papers will not be concluded.”
However, Fintiri stated that his committee would collaborate with the zoning committee to achieve a successful convention.
His words: “We are going to work hand-in-hand and so, we urge them to quickly finish their job so that those who are interested in any position will also quickly start running round the country to canvass for votes.
“There is no ultimatum but I know that they are also party men and women who also believe in the success of this convention. So, definitely, they are going to conclude their assignment and allow us space so that we can start deploying our knowledge and technology of giving the best convention.”
He ruled out any postponement of the October convention, stating that his committee was equal to the task.
“The time is barely enough but we are adequately preparing. I don’t see any reason for any shift. We have written INEC and we have virtually gotten the approval of the venue. So, what stops us from giving the best NWC at the end of October,” he added.
On whether the party would adopt unity list to pick its national officers again, Fintiri declared that “with the experience we had in the last convention, with the innovation in technology and the rest of them, I think we are going to depart completely from what we had in the last convention.”
He added: “Also, considering the calibre of the men and women that make up the convention committee, I have no doubt in my mind that this convention will come out one of the best. Nevertheless, if a position is zoned to a particular state, and they decide to field one person, we cannot say because we want to have competition in the convention, we will force them into competitive election.”
Meanwhile, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, has described the governing All Progressives Congress as a power-grabbing contraption with no interest in the wellbeing of Nigerians.
He said this in a goodwill message during the inauguration of the convention planning committee in Abuja.
Elumelu said, “In the last six years, the APC-led government has shown itself to be nothing but a power-grabbing contraption, which has no interest in governance and the wellbeing of Nigerians.
“That is why the APC-led government has no strategy for wealth creation but is only interested in reckless borrowing, policy inconsistencies and treasury looting to devastate our economy and wreck the naira which our party handed over to them at N167 to a dollar in 2015 to a disgraceful N567 to a dollar today.
“The APC-led government has compromised our national security and is now superintending escalated bloodletting, terrorism and unrelenting acts of banditry to the extent that mass killing is becoming a new normal in our country.
“It is indeed pathetic that under the APC-led government, all the productive sectors of our country have been crippled.
“Infrastructural decay and skyrocketing costs of food and essential commodities have made life unbearable in Nigeria. The only hope is returning the PDP to power in 2023 and we must not fail our compatriots.”
In response, the Chairman, Buhari Media Organisation, Niyi Akinsiju said, “It is uncharitable for anyone least of all any member of the PDP to accuse this administration of non-performance.
“Nigerians no longer take the PDP seriously on any issue. The APC is a party of patriots who came together to rescue our country from PDP’s misrule. Nigerians now know the difference.”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday in Abuja inaugurated its national convention committee.
The Guardian / The Punch
