Why PDP lost presidency, by ex-govs, deputies

Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors and their deputies yesterday, carried out what looked like self-examination, speaking for the first time on the lost presidential election held last year.

Their verdict: Arrogance on the part of those in power is a main factor that ruined the political fortunes of the party.

The former state chief executives and their deputies handed down the consensus yesterday during a courtesy call on the party’s national chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff, in Abuja.

They lamented the relegation they suffered in the hands of their successors in the running of the party.

Members of the delegation included Babangida Mu’azu; Ramalan Yero; Gabriel Suswam; Ikedi Ohakim; Sam Egwu; Abdulkadir Kure; Capt. Idris Wada and Achike Udenwa.

Others are Ibrahim Shekarau; Gbenga Daniels; Sen. Theodore Orji and Sule Lamido.

The rest were former deputy governors Iyiola Omisore; Michael Abdul, Effiong Cobhams and Etuk Effiong.

Earlier, Sheriff had described the former governors and their deputies as stakeholders in the party, and by right, leaders to their people.

The party chair noted that if PDP must return to what it was in 1999 where it dominated the political scene, “we have to go back to the drawing board.”

Also speaking, Senator Sam Egwu, who spoke on behalf of South East’s erstwhile chief executives and deputies, hailed Sheriff as the first national chairman to recognise that there were some former chief executives of state that were still in PDP.

On his part, former governor of Niger State, Abdulkadir Kure, who spoke on behalf of governors and deputies from the North Central, thanked Sheriff for recognising governors that started the party.

Also contributing, the former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, who spoke for the South West, lamented that the party lost because “what we thought were greatest assets were perceived to be the liability.”

Speaking for the South South, former deputy governor of Cross River, Effiong Cobhams, said “unusual times call for unusual leadership. Looking at the meeting here, there is a lot of ability for us to bounce back.”