Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory rose from a meeting in Abuja, yesterday, condemning ethnic and regional sentiments in campaigns ahead of the May 28, 2022 presidential primary of the party.
In a communique read by former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, after the meeting, the PDP leaders affirmed: “PDP, as conceived by its founding fathers, is and remains the foremost national political platform wherein the democratic aspirations of its teeming members can be actualised devoid of any sectional consideration. Our party is neither Northern nor Southern but Nigerian.”
Chieftains at the meeting included former Adamawa State governor, Boni Haruna; former Kogi State governor, Ibrahim Idris; former Minister of Police Affairs, Waziri Maina Ibrahim; former National Planning Minister, Sanusi Dagash; Senator Dino Melaye; Ambassador Aminu Wali and former Niger State governor, Babangida Aliu.
The leaders said they were happy to note that the Prof. Ango Abdullahi-led Northern Elders Forum (NEF), through its Secretary (Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed), disassociated itself from Ango’s media statement on Northern consensus candidates, making it clear that the statement was Ango’s personal opinion.
They said: “We would like to state from the onset that there is nothing called ‘Northern PDP’. Our coming together, as key stakeholders from the Northern states, is only for the purpose of debunking any notion or impression which might have been created by Prof. Ango Abdullahi’s media statement about NEF shortlisting consensus PDP presidential candidates.”
Urging the party’s presidential aspirants to embrace unity and peaceful conduct, they noted: “Aspirants have informed us that they are discussing among themselves. They are consulting other senior citizens to create better understanding and unity among themselves. And their ultimate objective is to build a national consensus that will produce a national candidate for the party. We urge them to keep up with this commendable effort.”
They said: “All our aspirants are qualified to occupy the Nigerian presidency under the PDP banner and we shall continue to support, promote, campaign and win the presidency through the candidate produced by our national convention scheduled for May 28-29, 2022.”
The leaders also appealed to all aspirants to be temperate in their utterances and promote harmony and better understanding within the PDP family.
ALSO, PDP women leaders met with all female aspirants to strategise on getting more women elected in the 2023 general elections.
At the event, National Woman Leader, Prof. Stella Effah-Attoe, advised the aspirants to consult leaders at the grassroots.
In her opening remarks, Effah-Attoe stressed that the meeting was necessitated by her desire to leave no stones unturned at ensuring women do not only participate in politics but also win elections.
