Turaki says no other faction in PDP, as 29 State Chairmen affirm leadership
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Tanimu Turaki (SAN), has said that was no other faction within the party, asserting that the party was united.
He made this known on Wednesday in Abuja during a meeting with 29 PDP State Chairmen who upheld the legitimacy and authority of the National Working Committee, with two absentee Chairmen sending in apologies.
Recall that the Wike-led faction had earlier said it would conduct state congresses and a national convention to elect party officials at the state and national level.
Mohammed Abdulrahman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu from Wike’s bloc have kept insisting that they remained Acting National Chairman and Acting National Secretary, respectively, even though PDP Governors facilitated a seamless transition from Umar Damagum to Turaki as National Chairman of the party.
Seyi Makinde, Oyo State Governor had hosted in November a national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, which produced Turaki Taminu as the National Chairman as well as other members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Some members of the Wike-led faction had recently been evicted from the PDP including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. However, during a factional Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting held on Sunday at Wike’s residence in Abuja, the Chairman of the factional BoT Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, said preparations were ongoing to conduct state congresses and a national convention.
Addressing the Forum of State Chairmen on Wednesday, Turaki noted that the NWC was only as effective as the support and cooperation from the Chairmen. “For me, today is a day of fulfilment. Outside there, some people who claim to be members of our party, but who indeed the whole world knows are not members of our party, claim that they have what they call a faction.
“So, when you look at 29 State Chairmen sitting with us, with apologies coming from two, then when you also take into account the fact that certain chapters were dissolved and so do not have leadership constituted presently, which we are planning to do in due course, then tell me, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, who is not here.
“If all the State Chairmen are here with us, then who is it that is not with us? If all the State Chairmen are supporting us, then who, sincerely speaking, can be fighting us? So, this is something for the whole world to see. These are known faces; these are veterans in their own right, and they are here physically, not virtually, and they are here in person, not via representation.
“So as far as PDP is concerned, I think it speaks for itself. People now know where the leadership of PDP is, and people know who the true leaders of the party are, and of course, we are the leaders, the genuine bona fide leaders of the people,” he noted.
Turaki added that the PDP was on a rescue mission, while also expressing concern about the ineptitude of APC’s rule in the country.
“Today, PDP is on a new mission, and this new mission is to reclaim Nigeria from the inept APC leadership, a leadership that, instead of taking Nigeria progressively forward, is taking us retrogressively backwards.
“Today, Nigerians are living witnesses that the achievements, the progress that had been made in the 16 PDP glorious years have either been destroyed, shattered, or reversed. And that is why today, whenever Nigerians speak, they beg, they plead: if you cannot take us anywhere further, please take us back to where we were in 2015.
“I say to Nigerians out there who have listened to you: we are not taking you back to where we were in 2015 when we left. We will take over power by the special grace of God in 2027. And thereafter, we will begin the journey to taking Nigeria and Nigerians to the promised land. It is possible, it is doable; we’ve done it before, and we’re going to do it again,” he said.
