Vice President of Nigeria, Namadi Sambo on Sunday, August 31, 2014 has called on members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who have defected from the fold to return to the party.
He made the call at the PDP North-West zone stakeholders meeting in Kaduna.
He said: “There is a popular adage which has it that even the teeth and the tongue do sometimes disagree. It should be acknowledged that there is no alternative to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). As the largest party in Africa, it is good enough to accommodate all and sundry.”
Thisday reports:
In a statement by his spokesman, Umar Sani, the vice-president appraised the significant rise in the party’s membership across country.
According to Sambo, “the party has been receiving mass decampees from the opposition swelling its membership across the nation.
“Prominent personalities from Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa and others states have joined our party along with their numerous supporters.
“This is a testimony of the acceptability of the party by greater majority of the people based on the party’s past and current performance.”
He added that PDP is a party that thrives in the promotion of democracy, noting that the stakeholders’ meeting was aimed at strategising ahead of 2015
“This zone (North-west), which is the largest in terms of number of states, has placed on our shoulder the challenge of holding regular meetings and consultations so as to remain ahead of others at all times” he stressed.
Sambo therefore called on members of the party to develop more concrete and pragmatic ways that would consolidate the strength of the Party and be unified in their quest to strengthen.
He said the “Party has made its mark and improved the lives and well-being of our citizens.”
In his remarks, the PDP North-west Chairman Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure, noted that the meeting was convened to discuss matters that are germane to strengthening the party towards positioning it for greater successes ahead.
Governor Sa’idu Dakingari of Kebbi State, who spoke on behalf of PDP governors in the North-west zone, promised the national chairman of the party of delivering all the states in the region to PDP.
He described North-west as the most politically sophisticated region in the country and the largest in terms of voting population, “with about 28 per cent of the total votes in the country.”
At the end of the meeting a communique was read, which was unanimously adopted by stakeholders of the party in the North-west zone, it urged President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2015 presidential election.
The communique, which was read by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Amb. Aminu Wali, reeled out the achievements of Jonathan’s administration in Nigeria’s socio economic and political landscape, particularly in the North-west zone.
It noted the giant strides the administration has made in the areas of agriculture, healthcare, aviation, transportation, education and employment creation.
The communique reads in part: “Having carefully considered the steady and stable progress of our nation under the able leadership of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan the stakeholders of the PDP in the North-west zone having in mind the monumental strides attained by this administration, have resolved to urge Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to declare for President in the forthcoming 2015 elections so as to continue the good works he started in nation building. We ask for nothing less.
“Consequently, we respectfully call on the National Chairman of our party, the PDP to convey this resolution and unanimous declaration of the entire leadership and membership of the PDP in the North-west zone to President Goodluck Jonathan to render himself for continued service to the nation.”
In his remarks, the PDP National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu expressed delight for the strong interest the members exhibited for the party and assured them that PDP was the party to beat as it has withstood the tides of all times.
While stating that the party had achieved a lot and it is imperative the party beats its own drums, Mu’azu also promised to convey the outcome of their meeting to the president.
“As an observer, I promised to communicate the communique to the president,” he said.
The meeting was attended by Governor Sa’du Dakingari of Kebbi State and his Kaduna State counterpart Ramalan Yero, the deputy governors of Sokoto, Jigawa and Katsina States, PDP senators from the zone, PDP members of House of Representatives from the zone, party stalwarts and several other dignitaries.
