The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said its forthcoming national convention, scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, is critical to the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday as part of preparations for the convention, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the event would reposition the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, the PDP had given citizens the freedom to choose their leaders, and that the forthcoming convention would renew that democratic legacy.
He said Nigerians would soon have the opportunity to compare the PDP’s 16 years in power with the ruling All Progressives Congress’s (APC) 10 years, urging voters to judge by the parties’ records. According to him, the ‘glorious years’ of the PDP brought economic growth, global recognition and debt relief for Nigeria-achievements he said had been reversed under the APC.
‘When the PDP came on board, we paid off our debts, achieved double-digit GDP growth, kept inflation low and invested heavily in human capital. By 2015, we had an economy worth over $600 billion, the largest in Africa,’ he said. ‘All of that has been rolled back in the last 10 years with the APC’s misadventure in government.’
He added that Nigerians still recall the PDP years ‘with nostalgia,’ noting that the party’s democratic culture, openness to debate and adherence to internal rules remain unmatched.
Also speaking, a former Minister of Special Duties and Vice Chairman of the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC), Tanimu Turaki (SAN), said preparations were in top gear to ensure a successful convention that would serve as a benchmark for other political parties.
Turaki, who addressed members of the security subcommittee and other stakeholders, emphasised that security arrangements would play a decisive role in the success of the event.
‘The success of the convention is 85 per cent dependent on what members of the security committee do in Ibadan,’ he said. ‘Security is key-whether at the perimeter, inside the venue, or in coordinating with invited security agencies to ensure a smooth process.’
Turaki, who represented the NCOC chairman and Adamawa State governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, urged committee members to see themselves as party leaders with vital roles to play.
‘You were selected because we believe you have something special to contribute to the success of this convention,’ he said. ‘At the end of the day, we want to go back home and proudly say we held the best convention any political party could organise.’
He assured that the NCOC would leave no stone unturned in providing the support and logistics needed to make the convention a success.