The newly elected chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Turaki, SAN, has pledged to ensure that power returns to the Nigerian people, while urging the judiciary to uphold the tenets of democracy.

Turaki, while giving his acceptance speech after the swearing-in of new officers at the end of the Elective Convention of the PDP in Ibadan, assured that there will be “no more impunity, no more suppression of the will of Nigerians”.

The chairman appealed to the judiciary to uphold the principles of stare decisis, abiding by the decisions of the Supreme Court, and not to “willingly or unwillingly put yourselves in a situation where, rightly or wrongly, it may be assumed, correctly or incorrectly, that you are part and parcel of the process to truncate Nigerian democracy.”

According to him, the new leadership of the party would be open to listening to the yearnings of members, with a view to aligning with their will, declaring that “No more monkey dey work, baboon dey chop,” adding that “if baboon wants to chop, baboon must be seated to work.”

He noted that the PDP has maintained its original name, motto and logo, unlike the other parties that started with it, making it a recognised brand anywhere in Nigeria.

While underscoring the need for fairness, transparency and justice, he said, “He who comes to equity must come with clean hands.”

He hinted that the new executive body was not under the illusion that the task ahead was easy, acknowledging that the PDP was at a crossroads but assured that the new leadership was capable of delivering.

Turaki promised that in the days ahead, the guiding principles and modus operandi for the party’s effective operation would be announced. He assured aggrieved members that the process of addressing their grievances would commence promptly in the most amicable ways possible.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the inauguration of the new leadership of the PDP, the new National Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Ini Ememobong, reechoed the position of the chairman that the new dispensation in PDP “is that of reconciliation, renaissance or a rebirth, like raising a new building from an old foundation, where we have a legacy of strength; a legacy of consensus, collectivity, fairness and justice.” “That is the direction we are going,” he added.

Stressing the critical necessity of deepening Nigeria’s democracy, Comrade Ememobong said, “If we do not have a vibrant opposition, then you will just have elections that lead to authoritarianism, where you have elections, but those elections do not lead to democratic consolidation.”

According to him, “Beyond what is good for PDP, we are looking for what is good for Nigeria. Our democratic consolidation is critical in our mind.”

Asked to speak on the expulsion of key figures in the PDP, such as Nyesom Wike and Ayo Fayose, among others, the Publicity Secretary explained that it was a decision of the convention, based on a history of wrongdoings against the party.

He observed that the general public is not satisfied with the quality of Nigeria’s current democratic experience. “They do not have faith in it, which has led to the judicialisation of elections, because people have lost faith in the electoral processes,” he said.