Focus on sacking APC, Atiku tells PDP
• There’s no time for honeymoon, says Ekweremadu
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has advised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to focus on sacking the All Progressives Congress (APC), which, he said, “deceived Nigerians” to get power.
Atiku said this when he congratulated Prince Uche Secondus, on his emergence as PDP national chairman o.
He said: “Our great party, the PDP is, again, at the threshold of a historical moment.
“Just as we mobilised to put an end to prolonged military rule in 1999, the people of Nigeria, at this moment, look up to us to rescue the country from the misgovernment of the APC.
“Arising from our elective congress, there should be no victor and no vanquished. Our paramount attention should be focused at sacking a government that deceived the people of Nigeria into power, by promising our youths three million jobs annually, only to deliver three million job losses annually; a government that is repeatedly living in denial of its commitment to restructuring.
“We must be united to take power back to where it belongs – the Nigerian people.
“As members of the PDP, we must take pride in being able to hold a national convention and, in so doing, live up to the bill of being a truly democratic political party.
“Our major opponent has not been able to achieve this feat and I join millions of our party members to congratulate the (Senator) Ahmed Makarfi-led national caretaker committee.”
He said although there were complaints by those who contested for positions in the party’s national working committee, “the PDP has a mechanism for addressing such complaints which should be explored.
“I understand that there are complaints and grievances from many of the co-contestants in the congress.
“I am aware that the PDP has a mechanism for addressing such complaints and it is important that such avenues of redress are made available for members to explore, without let or hindrance.
“Meantime, I call on all our leaders and members to rally the new executive for the sake of our party, Nigeria and the good of our people.”
Similarly, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who also congratulated Secondus on his victory, told the National Working Committee (NWC) to get down to work immediately as there is no honeymoon for them.
Ekweremadu also commended the PDP faithful for a credible and hitch-free national convention, noting that the party had lived up to its name, in a statement, yesterday.
“The PDP has set an example, which other political parties will have to emulate, to deepen the nation’s democracy. Importantly, I believe that 2019 is a comeback year for the PDP because distraught Nigerians look up to our great party. However, there is a lot of work to be done and party faithful expect members of the new NWC to hit the ground running because they have no luxury of a honeymoon. We expect them to start the process of galvanising party faithful to reposition the PDP and mobilise Nigerians towards building a Nigeria of our dreams.”
He urged members and Nigerians to support the PDP NWC to deliver on its mandate.