PDP convention: We’re ready to rescue Nigeria – Okowa

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has said that the successful conduct of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) national convention was a pointer to the party’s readiness to rescue Nigeria from the current hopelessness that pervades the country.

Okowa stated this while speaking on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” monitored in Asaba. He said that Nigerians were tired of the rising insecurity and economic crisis ravaging the country and that PDP had through the success of the convention, sent the right message to Nigerians that it was properly positioned to change the ugly narrative.

The governor said there was a need to recreate hope in the nation because a lot of people had lost faith in the country.

According to him, as of today, not only our youths but a lot of Nigerians are feeling very bad about the nation and this kind of situation is not the best for us.

“We need to recreate hope; we need to make them believe that Nigeria is one, that Nigeria is a united country and that there is hope for a new Nigeria.

“With the successful conduct of our national convention, we have sent the message with the right conviction to Nigerians that PDP is truly ready to rescue them.

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“The rescue mission is about our country. We know exactly what we are in at the moment; there is so much crisis in everything; crisis in security, crisis in the economy and a lot of people are truly very hungry.

“The number of poor people is growing by the day and the youths are becoming very restive and they are no longer comfortable with the country they call their own.

“When you look at all these things, with the fact that the economy is nose-diving every day and when you look at the kind of budget that is being presented to Nigerians, there is cause to worry that it is not something that can actually take us in the right direction.

“There are a lot of issues and most practically, the insecurity issue in the land which is growing worse by the day, and that is beginning to impact negatively on production, in terms of agricultural produce and that is not good enough for our country.

“From real insecurity we may find ourselves in the next few years going into food insecurity and that will probably be the worst of everything we can have as a nation.

“So, looking at the totality of all these, you will definitely agree with me on the need to re-jig the pathway that we are toeing at the moment.

“It is not the best for us and I think it’s agreeable by all Nigerians that something needs to be done; that’s why we have presented ourselves as a credible alternative to take Nigeria back to the path of progress; to take Nigeria back to a situation where people can begin to build hope for tomorrow,” he said.

On why former President Goodluck Jonathan was absent at convention, Okowa explained that the former president was duly invited but was unavoidably absent because of prior engagements outside the country.

He said the PDP remained cohesive and united, adding that “we are working together with the leaders and founders of the party, and we agreed that we will continue to keep ourselves together for the huge task ahead.”

On alleged dominance of the party by the governors and why the leaders chose Iyorchia Ayu as the national chairman, Okowa said the party looked for someone with a command structure and reasonability of enough administrative capacity which Ayu possesses.

“In the North, there was a lot of consultation with different leaders where the name of Senator Ayu was presented and finally accepted.

“The person of the national chairman comes with a very high level of integrity, high level of experience, with the necessary command structure and a reasonable administrative background that can truly help to keep the party united on the rescue mission.

“Governors as leaders of the party in their various states have the right to stick together and provide guidance for the party and I believe that we are doing our best to provide leadership and guidance to the party in the absence of a president,” he said.