Despite the party’s ongoing internal bickering, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) said the party is set for the campaigns, adding that “ We will not be distracted from our responsibility to rescue Nigerians from the current socio-economic quagmire”
The party had since its May 29th Presidential primaries in Abuja, been engulfed in crises, threatening its efforts to build a formidable opposition structure that will successfully challenge the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), ahead of the 2023 general election.
The crises culminated in the recent withdrawal of the group loyal to Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, from the 326-man presidential campaign Council, headed by Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel.
Ahead of the commencement of the election campaign on Wednesday, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has strengthened his campaign machinery, picking former Senate Presidents, Bukola Saraki, Pius Anyim, as well as former Kano state Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, as Special Advisers
The former Vice President also appointed former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Ehigie Uzamere, as well as the party’s former national chairman, Uche Secondus, as Technical Adviser to the presidential candidate.
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, to Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, said the appointees are expected to use their vast political experiences in ensuring that the PDP presidential campaign records resounding success in the 2023 election.
The appointment of Uche Secondus who is currently on a war path with Governor Wike in Rivers state is an indication that the Atiku campaign may have abandoned plans to settle with Wike’s group.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary (NPS) Debo Ologunagba, who spoke with BusinessDay in Abuja on the preparedness for the campaign takeoff, said “ the party will not be distracted from its responsibilities by unnecessary bickering”
Read also: APC postpones campaign kick-off indefinitely
“ We have moved on and nothing will stop us”
Ologunagba revealed that the inauguration of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council scheduled for Wednesday, 28th September, will take place as planned.
“ Everything is set. The party is conscious of its responsibilities and every step is being undertaken to ensure that the hopes and aspirations of Nigerians are not thwarted by unnecessary bickering”
The PDP image maker, announced that the party is ready to move ahead, while also ensuring that relevant organs within the party carry out the job of reconciling aggrieved members.
“ The party has organs making sure that all aggrieved members are pacified
Ologunagba said the party is working to ensure the success of the 2023 project, “not only for our sake, but for the sake of all Nigerians”
“Nigerians are behind us because they want to ensure that nobody takes them for granted any more like we had seen in the last seven years”
Spokesman for the party’s Presidential Campaign Council and current Delta State Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, while also, speaking with BusinessDay on the party’s preparedness, said the party is ready for the campaigns.
He noted that the party’s Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar has demonstrated the kind of maturity and leadership qualities to pull it through what ever crises the party might face, ahead of the campaigns
According to Aniagwu,” Atiku has demonstrated enough commitments to solving the current crises and is ready to do more with the laws of our party”
“By the Grace of God, we are ready to start analyzing all the issues and to tell Nigerians what we have in stock for them”
Speaking on plans to pull out of the Campaigns by the Wike group, Aniagwu assured that the party will everybody along, adding that “ we are interested in the equity and Justice they are talking about without having to bend our laws”
“We are determined to unite all Nigerians, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, age and creed.
Don’t forget that they said they have not left the fold, they are still part of the PDP. The beauty is that democracy is at play. We will ensure that we are much more United at the end of the day.
He, however, berated the other parties who are currently “ rejoicing” over the PDP crises, adding that “ it shows you how unprepared they are. They are not even prepared, that is why they are waiting to cash in on crises within our party to succeed. That tells you that We are still above them and we will remain so” he said.
Also speaking on the party’s preparedness for the campaigns, the Labour Party( LP) National Publicity Secretary! Arabambi Abayomi said the party has put in place a “straightforward campaign structure.”
Abayomi stated that the structure is made up of Nigeria Labour Congress and The Trade Union Congress in all the 774 Local Government including all their affiliates, the generality of the suffering masses of Nigeria who has been shortchanged and decimated economically, our Obedient political movement members all across the nation, other members in all the Wards, Local Government and across the 36 states of the federation and FCT” will form part of the campaign structure of the party.
“At it stands now we have over 33 million Nigerians rooting for a change of leadership in Nigeria under Peter Obi/Datti presidency and also at every and each of these levels in LP, the party will unceasingly and strongly sustain its presence and keeps improving steadily.
“Campaigns for LP are continuous and very unbroken, not even the large scale top-notch National rallies in the States and the National Capital will in anyway reduce the amount of effort, energy and focus of the party in the more local levels.
The Labour Party Spokesman said the party is conscious of the truism that all politics is local, adding that “what many people allow in their very compromised views about the cost of campaigns is the complexity of the oppressive choice of many political Parties to use money to buy people’s physical participation in their rallies”
“Ordinarily, parties are expected to be concerned about campaigning for support from the locals everywhere a rally is held to attract support, so how then does the cost of severally transporting other members from different localities to the rally venue in another far and very distant locality to attend rally only to give false data for the attendance at such rally
“Paying people to attend campaign rallies is another unnecessary added cost. However, for LP, most of these dense expenses do not have tolerance and accommodation in LP.
“Labour Party values and very much prefer direct interaction with the people in their own respective levels.
“From the foregoing, it is obvious that LP could not be needlessly pressed by a too huge cost for Campaign. As LP doesn’t have in its fold treasury – thieving Governors either ex or serving, the money will only come from within the body of card-carrying members or other Citizens who share the ideals of LP “
He, however, assured that the party will organize fundraising activities to enable Nigerians to contribute to the funding of its campaigns
“Organization of gathering for the purpose of raising funds remains the most outstanding strategy in raising funds to run the activities of the Party”
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