The Board of Trustees (BoT) of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a meeting on Tuesday has asserted that the party is hell bent on resisting the ruling party from turning the country into a one-party state.
The meeting, which was attended by notable party leaders and governors, was convened to address the challenges facing the party and to strategize for the upcoming Edo State governorship election.
The acting BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, said the party was determined to prevent Nigeria from becoming a one-party state under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said the party had a role to play in safeguarding democracy in Nigeria and urged the members to work together to rebuild the party.
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He said, “A lot has happened; a lot is happening; the state of the party we all know, and this is the time to hit the ground running since all the judgements have all come and gone.
“Our role as members of the Board of Trustees, the main organ of this party, is to ensure that this party does not die.
“If PDP goes under, definitely democracy will go under in Nigeria. We know that there are plans to turn this country into a one-party state, but that will only happen when we allow it.
“So, we must fight for democracy in Nigeria, and it is only the PDP that can do that. Nobody owns this party, but other parties are owned.
“Here, we follow due process democratically. I want to beg all of you, especially the NWC, to do everything to bring this party back on track.
“There are so many issues, and it is time now for us to address those issues, where necessary, forgive and forget, and where necessary, take the necessary actions.
“But some of us, especially the BoT, are always objective. Anything that goes outside our constitution will create problems, we should strictly abide by our constitution. Follow the law, the rules, and our constitution religiously, and we cannot fail.”
The National Chairman of the party, Amb. Umar Damagum, briefed the BoT on the activities of the National Working Committee (NWC) and the preparations for the Edo State governorship election.
He said the party had initiated the process of selecting a candidate for the election and expressed confidence that the party would retain the state.
He said, “This meeting will enable us to brief you on the activities of the NWC and also outline our plans for the coming months.
“Now that all 2023 election petitions are resolved, there is no better time to begin rebuilding the party than now.
“You are all aware of the forthcoming Edo State Governorship election. We have initiated the process of selecting a candidate for that election. Despite challenges, we remain focused, and with the grace of God, we will retain Edo.
“We also urge all members to pay attention to Edo and individually promote the PDP. It is crucial to ensure that we have a united party in Edo to retain the governorship seat. Therefore, all hands must be on deck.
“I also want to remind our BoT members that the task of rebuilding this party extends beyond the NWC. We are all stakeholders, and wherever you find yourself, you don’t have to wait for the NWC to speak up to protect the party; it is a collective responsibility. Finally, I want to reiterate our commitment.”
The meeting was held following a request by the PDP governors on Monday for an urgent party leadership meeting.