Political leaders of Southern Nigeria within the fold of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have stated reasons why they are crusading for the National Chairmanship position of the party that dominated the affairs of the country for 16 years.
The party has produced three Nigerian Presidents: Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’Adua, and Goodluck Jonathan.
At the moment, the party that was dislodged from power in 2015 by the All Progressives Congress (APC) is struggling to recreate herself with the aim of returning to power in 2019.
Already, two power blocs are locked in a hot battle for the chairmanship position since Northern Nigeria is expected to produce the Presidential candidate for the 2019 election.
The power blocs are the Southern and the Western Nigeria.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State is of the view that PDP remained alive in spite of her enormous crises because of the investment and commitment of members and leaders of the party from Southern Nigeria.
The governor is busy lobbying other power blocs to extend their gratitude to leaders and members of the PDP from the South for their commitment to the survival of the party.
Wike who again spoke on the matter at the PDP Zonal Congress in Port Harcourt, his state capital, argued that if PDP leaders and members from the South were not committed, there would not have been PDP today.
According to him, ”it is important that PDP members from other zones of the country congratulate South-South PDP members for their steadfastness at a time PDP was in crisis “.
While urging party members in the bloc to remain resolute in their support for the growth of the PDP he added, ”we are going as a family and we will continue to work as a family. We will not allow any external force to divide the South-South. We will continue to be together “.
Seriake Dickson, his Bayelsa State counterpart, says the PDP is in very trying times. ”We are in opposition, facing a very fierce and ruthless government at the federal level. This is a time the governors need your support.”
Senator Godswill Akpabio, Senate Minority Leader, said for the stability of PDP, it was necessary for the next Chairman to come from their power bloc. “It is important we stabilise the PDP. That is why we need a Chairman of PDP from the South,” he said.
Chief Tom Ikimi, former External Affairs Minister, said that the PDP cannot afford to allow the West produce the chairman because it is prone to crisis.
Elder Emmanuel Ogidi, National Vice Chairman of PDP, South-South, said that the South-South will work with other zones to strengthen the party.
The congress attracted PDP leaders from all the six states of the power bloc- Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers.
Picture: L-R: Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, South-South PDP Chairman, Elder Emmanuel Ogidi, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, Former Rivers State Governor, Celestine Omehia and Former External Affairs Minister, Chief Tom Ikimi during the PDP Zonal Congress in Port Harcourt.