PDP Govs regroup, plan on how to bounce back for 2019
Mon Feb 08, 2016 11:48:am Politics
3.6K By sosa hills
Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have started regrouping to strategise for the 2019 elections.This is comes as recent, favourable Supreme Court judgments restore endangered gubernatorial mandates of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), governors elected on the platform are regrouping to rebuild the crisis-ridden party.
The decision to return the PDP to mainstream politics was taken by the governors who held an emergency meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Sunday after the thanksgiving service organised by Governor Nyesom Wike to mark the revalidation of his election by the Supreme Court.
It was learnt that after the meeting, the governors agreed to converge in Abuja to meet with party leadership on how to end the intra-party crisis and define the way forward.
An elated Wike at the thanksgiving service declared that the successes of the governors on the legal turf will give the party a proper footing to prosecute the forthcoming 2019 general elections.
Wike spoke at a thanksgiving service at Saint Peter's Anglican Church which attracted PDP leaders across the country.
Among PDP leaders who graced by event were Governors Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State.
Also present were the former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, former Rivers State Governor Peter Odili and Celestine Omehia as well as national and state Legislators.
The PDP Acting Chairman, Uche Secondus, said his party, even in opposition, remains the largest party in Africa as indications has become very clear that APC is not a political party
Immediately after the service, the governor hosted a select number of dignitaries, many of them his PDP colleagues, to a reception at Government House, Port Harcourt, where, a source revealed further discussions were held about how to confront the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next election in 2019.
"After the meeting in Port Harcourt, Wike and his colleagues, the governors left for Abuja, where they will have another round of meetings on the same issue," the source said.
Wike affirmed that no matter what, the PDP would win all future elections in Rivers, imploring his colleagues to consult him on such matters as he is now not only a governor, but strong' one for that matter.
"I am the executive governor of Rivers State and a strong one for that matter. We will support INEC to conduct credible elections. However, any official who plans to rig will get the treatment reserved for armed robbers ".
He noted that the failure of the evil plotters means that Rivers people will return all the Legislators whose elections were nullified by the Appeal Court.
Governor Wike called for a comprehensive fight against corruption, urging support for the prosecution for all those who stole Rivers money to sponsor APC National election campaign.
He said that between December 1 and 18 of 2014, the former Rivers State Government used $150 million to fund the APC elections , and also the State Government will recover all stolen funds.
He also told the gathering that the Supreme Court judgment on his election restored the confidence of Nigerians in the Judiciary as it confirmed the will of the Rivers people.
Governor Wike stressed that if the Supreme Court had nullified his election, he wouldn't have contested the rerun governorship election because of the evil plot to use security forces to instigate a loss of lives in the state.
Governor Wike noted that God worked in his time by reversing what several persons thought was irreversible with the previous judgments of the Election Tribunal and the Appeal Court.
He said: "Nothing is impossible with God. Men of God prophesied a few days to the Supreme Court that the judgment will confirm the mandate given to us by the Rivers people.
"We won the election clearly as has been confirmed by the Supreme Court. If there was a rerun, I wouldn't have contested because there would have been bloodbath. I resolved not to be part of anything that would bring bloodbath."
Governor Wike said that an evil plot had been hatched to arrest him, detain him to discourage Rivers people before the Legislative elections earlier scheduled for February 6.
According to him, the political powers were already indiscriminately arresting PDP members and leaders across the state, preparatory to the rerun elections.
He assured the people of Rivers State that he will judiciously use the mandate to advance the course of development in the state.
The governor assured the Rivers State APC governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside that he will be accommodated in the process of developing the state.
He added that Dakuku Peterside is not an orphan, saying that: "I will be a father to Dakuku Peterside. He is not an orphan ".
Meanwhile, Secondus insisted that not even the harassment and persecution of its leaders would stop the PDP from providing a robust and constructive opposition.
He warned the ruling APC to note that the nation is sliding economically and politically.
Secondus said Nigeria is dangerously sliding and called on the APC-led federal government to genuinely engage Nigerians to achieve peace that brings development.
He further called on the APC to address series of disturbing challenges in the land and stop abusing the Judiciary because it did not go their way.
He noted that when APC took over power from the PDP seven months ago, the naira was exchanging for N160 to one dollar but noted that currently, the naira has suddenly dipped to 300 for a dollar under the APC government.
The decision to return the PDP to mainstream politics was taken by the governors who held an emergency meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Sunday after the thanksgiving service organised by Governor Nyesom Wike to mark the revalidation of his election by the Supreme Court.
It was learnt that after the meeting, the governors agreed to converge in Abuja to meet with party leadership on how to end the intra-party crisis and define the way forward.
An elated Wike at the thanksgiving service declared that the successes of the governors on the legal turf will give the party a proper footing to prosecute the forthcoming 2019 general elections.
Wike spoke at a thanksgiving service at Saint Peter's Anglican Church which attracted PDP leaders across the country.
Among PDP leaders who graced by event were Governors Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State.
Also present were the former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, former Rivers State Governor Peter Odili and Celestine Omehia as well as national and state Legislators.
The PDP Acting Chairman, Uche Secondus, said his party, even in opposition, remains the largest party in Africa as indications has become very clear that APC is not a political party
Immediately after the service, the governor hosted a select number of dignitaries, many of them his PDP colleagues, to a reception at Government House, Port Harcourt, where, a source revealed further discussions were held about how to confront the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next election in 2019.
"After the meeting in Port Harcourt, Wike and his colleagues, the governors left for Abuja, where they will have another round of meetings on the same issue," the source said.
Wike affirmed that no matter what, the PDP would win all future elections in Rivers, imploring his colleagues to consult him on such matters as he is now not only a governor, but strong' one for that matter.
"I am the executive governor of Rivers State and a strong one for that matter. We will support INEC to conduct credible elections. However, any official who plans to rig will get the treatment reserved for armed robbers ".
He noted that the failure of the evil plotters means that Rivers people will return all the Legislators whose elections were nullified by the Appeal Court.
Governor Wike called for a comprehensive fight against corruption, urging support for the prosecution for all those who stole Rivers money to sponsor APC National election campaign.
He said that between December 1 and 18 of 2014, the former Rivers State Government used $150 million to fund the APC elections , and also the State Government will recover all stolen funds.
He also told the gathering that the Supreme Court judgment on his election restored the confidence of Nigerians in the Judiciary as it confirmed the will of the Rivers people.
Governor Wike stressed that if the Supreme Court had nullified his election, he wouldn't have contested the rerun governorship election because of the evil plot to use security forces to instigate a loss of lives in the state.
Governor Wike noted that God worked in his time by reversing what several persons thought was irreversible with the previous judgments of the Election Tribunal and the Appeal Court.
He said: "Nothing is impossible with God. Men of God prophesied a few days to the Supreme Court that the judgment will confirm the mandate given to us by the Rivers people.
"We won the election clearly as has been confirmed by the Supreme Court. If there was a rerun, I wouldn't have contested because there would have been bloodbath. I resolved not to be part of anything that would bring bloodbath."
Governor Wike said that an evil plot had been hatched to arrest him, detain him to discourage Rivers people before the Legislative elections earlier scheduled for February 6.
According to him, the political powers were already indiscriminately arresting PDP members and leaders across the state, preparatory to the rerun elections.
He assured the people of Rivers State that he will judiciously use the mandate to advance the course of development in the state.
The governor assured the Rivers State APC governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside that he will be accommodated in the process of developing the state.
He added that Dakuku Peterside is not an orphan, saying that: "I will be a father to Dakuku Peterside. He is not an orphan ".
Meanwhile, Secondus insisted that not even the harassment and persecution of its leaders would stop the PDP from providing a robust and constructive opposition.
He warned the ruling APC to note that the nation is sliding economically and politically.
Secondus said Nigeria is dangerously sliding and called on the APC-led federal government to genuinely engage Nigerians to achieve peace that brings development.
He further called on the APC to address series of disturbing challenges in the land and stop abusing the Judiciary because it did not go their way.
He noted that when APC took over power from the PDP seven months ago, the naira was exchanging for N160 to one dollar but noted that currently, the naira has suddenly dipped to 300 for a dollar under the APC government.
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