…Urges Stakeholders To Put Their Differences Aside And Work Together

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos, Adetokunbo Pearse, says the most important task at Thursday’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party should be how to save Nigeria in 2027.

Mr Pearse, former member of Atiku Abubakar 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, disclosed this in an interview on Tuesday in Lagos.

The chieftain said that members and stakeholders expected the PDP NEC to use the much-awaited meeting to prepare the party and position it to win the 2027 presidential election.

“The most important thing now is that we, as PDP, have to prepare to save Nigeria come 2027. That should be the main focus of the NEC meeting. The party must come together in unity and strength and inform Nigerians what it would do differently and how it would do it.

“This is important for Nigerians to have hope that 2027 will usher in something better than what we have now,” Mr Pearse said.

He urged all PDP stakeholders to put their differences aside and work together for the progress of the party.

Mr Pearse added, “We must build the party, reach out to people because virtually about 50 per cent of our party members went into Labour Party in the build up to 2023 general elections. If we have that number, the PDP would have won the last presidential election.

“We must reach out to those aggrieved members. We must engage in the process of reconciliation, renegotiation and discussions, so that we can rebuild the party and come back in unity.

“PDP must present a tangible, legitimate alternative to Nigerians for their consideration in the 2027 presidential elections.”

Mr Pearse said PDP leaders had other important issues to resolve at the meeting.

“One of the other important issues is the way forward in terms of the national convention so that we can elect a substantive national chairman. From there, we have an idea of whether the party would be zoning for 2027 or not.

“The issue of those accused of anti-party activities before, during and after the last general elections must also be addressed,” he said.

He said the NEC meeting must also discuss some positions vacant in 2025 and how to fill them.

The PDP NEC is the party’s highest decision-making organ, comprising state governors, serving and former presidents, former vice presidents, chairman and secretary of the BoT, principal officers of the national assembly, all state chairpersons, members of the national working committee (NWC), former governors, and founding members, among others.

The NEC meeting, scheduled for Thursday, will be preceded by other strategic meetings starting on Tuesday.

One of such strategic meetings is the PDP Governors’ Forum meeting.

The Ganduje Ward Executive Committee and Dawakin Tofa Local Government Executive Committee have vehemently denounced the purported suspension of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Abdullahi Ganduje.

Ganduje Ward in the Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State had suspended the APC chief.

But in a joint press conference on the same day, the Ganduje Ward Chairman Ahmed Koko said: “Those who addressed the press conference were sponsored by the NNPP state government, and from the record of the party at the ward, local government, and state, are not card-carrying members of the APC”.

Koko insisted that the alleged suspension held no validity.

“The purported suspension was null and void, and would have no any effect on the national chairman,” he said.

Furthermore, he announced the committee’s intent to pursue legal action against the individuals involved, stating, “The Ward and Local Government Executives, having identified the persons involved in this unfortunate situation, have already prepared to charge them to court for impersonation and calculated attempt to embarrass and dent the image of the Party and that of the National Chairman.”

Appealing for calm among party members, Koko said, “We call on all Party members to disregard the purported suspension and remain calm.”

Led by Haruna Gwanjo, the ward executives had suspended Ganduje over allegations of corruption.

Gwanjo said that Kano’s former governor must clear his name of corruption allegations regarding his long-standing dollar case.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has been suspended by members of his ward, the Ganduje Ward in the Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State.

The Executive Council of Ganduje Ward, led by Haruna Gwanjo, disclosed this during a press briefing in Kano on Monday.

Gwanjo said that the former governor has to clear his name of corruption allegations regarding his long-standing dollar bribery video case.