The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday said it would rather focus on organising a successful national convention next month than lose sleep over the rumoured plan by some of its governors to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The reaction followed a fresh report claiming that the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, was set to leave the party within days.
Interestingly, Diri, who chairs the party’s zoning committee, was responsible for the recent recommendation and approval to zone the party’s 2027 presidential ticket to the South.
The party’s position came as the Chairman of the Entertainment and Welfare Sub-Committee for the convention, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, promised what she described as ‘intentional performance’ for party members at the November 15 Ibadan event.
The PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Honourable Debo Ologunagba, while reiterating the party’s stance on defection, argued that individuals did not make the PDP, adding that a governor’s decision was not above the collective interest of its members.
Ologunagba noted that a party whose former Vice-President left and whose former President was also not committed still survived, ‘waxing stronger.’
He said, ‘While governors are important, we recognise that the people are the strength of PDP. We are going ahead with the convention.
‘The defection that you see, the APC is orchestrating it through intimidation, blackmail, coercion, but I assure that by 2027, Nigeria will see them no more.’
He added, ‘We appreciate the contribution of individuals but PDP is beyond individuals. We have gone through this before.’
Aside from Diri, the Enugu State Governor, Mr Peter Mbah, is also alleged to be close to abandoning the PDP.
Like Diri, the Enugu governor serves as the Secretary of the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC).
Akpoti-Uduaghan, speaking at the inauguration of her committee on Thursday, promised to entertain participants with a blend of Nigerian cultural displays and Afrobeat, in addition to offering tantalising dishes and drinks during the convention.
‘The welfare and entertainment committee is to think about how we will receive our people on that day.
‘The food and drinks we will serve, we make sure they will enrich our people. We expect intentional performance.
‘We must understand that the party is growing and we must make ourselves admirable by incorporating our youths; so need to open our doors to more people,’ the Kogi Central senator stated. Meanwhile, the party’s governorship candidate for the upcoming Anambra election, Jude Ezenwafor, boasted that he was equal to the task of contesting without fear of intimidation from either the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) of Governor Charles Soludo or the APC.
He said he had been involved in Anambra politics for the past 28 years and was well-versed in the political dynamics that produced the state’s governors.
‘I can tell you that I will win the election and it will come as a surprise to them.
‘I have been part of how every governor emerged, even Soludo, you can ask him.
‘I am ready; whatever they think they know, I also know,’ Ezenwafor added.