Adeniran Sets To Unite Various Groups within PDP

Source: pointblanknews.com

A National Chairmanship aspirant in the August 17, Peoples Democratic

Party (PDP) National Convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Prof.

Tunde Adeniran has declared that his major mission is to forge unity among

the various groups within the party.
Speaking through his media aide, Yemi Akinbode, the former Minister of

Education said he has the requisite qualification to achieve that goal

given the mutual respect he enjoyed across the membership of the party,

including its current and past leaders.
“It is because of the bridges I had built across all the party's divides

that eminent citizens of the country from part of the country have backed

my candidacy. I am a friend of all, leaders and followers. I don’t have

enemies. The truth is that when some people don't have anything to say, my

warm relationships with eminent Nigerians become the story,” he stated.

Prof. Adeniran also hinted of a strong move by PDP leaders in the

southwest to unite and collectively demand that the National Chairmanship

be formally zoned to the region.
According to him, the southwest party leaders “want the zoning committee

meeting in Port Harcourt to bear in mind that equity and justice demand

nothing less than a southwest National Chairmanship of the PDP.”

He said the other zones in the south should concede the National

Chairmanship to the southwest, being the only zone yet to lead the party;

adding that many party leaders in the southeast had already backed the

southwest for the position. The southeast had in the past thrown up

several National Chairmen for the party.
Prof Adeniran, a founding member of the PDP, recalled that the south-south

recently produced the President for the country and also led the party as

acting national chairman until recently.
“We have had a long period of acting national chairmanship and the

occupant of that office was from the south-south after serving as deputy

national chairman for a long time,” he explained, adding: “So looking at

the equation, even our brothers from the southeast, many of them believe

the chairmanship should go to the southwest. But for the sake of robust

politics whoever is interested can come out and at the end we are all

brothers and sisters. When they see that the majority has taken a position

that it should go to the southwest, they will key into it and the national

chairman will be Tunde Adeniran.”
Prof Adeniran, who has received the endorsement of several party leaders

across the six geo-political zones, said that he was determined to tackle

the major malaise with the party, which he identified as lack of internal

democracy, disorientation and the ugly image acquired as a result of

commission and omission on the part of the leadership.

He further said: “We believe that there is the need at this point to

restore the dignity of the party and broaden the base of participation so

that there will be inclusiveness and quality leadership. We have decided

to come in so that we will leave a worthy legacy.  The PDP was turned

virtually into an electoral vehicle; a vehicle that you all get elected

into a particular position or get appointment into a particular office

without really performing the oath of the office. We have to check that.”

On the reported interest of PDP southwest members in the Vice Presidency

in 2019, the former Ambassador to Germany said that that should not

distract the zone from producing the National Chairman at this time. He

said he would not be a sit-tight National Chairman as he would be willing

to relinquish his position in the interest of the party.

He explained: “As far as I am concerned the motivation for aspiring for

this office is service and when you are serving people, you have to be

directed. If by any reason the party decides that it will go another

direction, why should I say I want to sit tight on anything? That has been

the bane of our politics in this part of the world. People must be ready

to make sacrifices and bear in mind the very essence of service.”

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