One of the most vocal groups and defenders of the interests of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Concerned PDP League (CPDPL), has demanded that the national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchi Ayu, mobilize PDP leaders, members and citizens for a peaceful march to impress on President Muhammedu Buhari to assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill on Friday 25/2/2022 as promised to Nigerians.
According to several sources, President Buhari has declined assent to five provisions of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
Meanwhile, CPDPL demand that the leaders of our great party should without further delay, resolve the burning issue of zoning the Presidency. Our party should take a cue from the All Progressive Party (APC) to zone the Presidency to the South, just as the APC took their cue from our long-established zoning tradition.
Further, the group called on Dr. Ayu and the National Working Committee (NWC) to consider giving loyalty awards to all deserving PDP patriots (including Governors and their Deputies) that did not decamp to the ruling APC. This may be called “PDP National Honors”, of which the Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Members of Zamfara State House of Assembly, political appointees in Cross River and the Ebonyi States, for example.
However, it is imperative to illuminate the repulsive disposition and attitude of the leadership of our party towards the leaders of CPDPL contrary to section 58 subsection 1(m) of the PDP constitution.
The demands were contained in an open letter to the PDP National Chairman and signed by four National Officers of the Concerned PDP League (CPDPL). Read the Open Letter Below.
An Open Letter To PDP On The Demand For One Million Members March To Force President Buhari To Sign The Electoral Act Amendment Bill, Official Position On Zoning The Presidency And Party National Honours:
We write this open letter to you as patriotic members and the most vocal group that defends our great party’s interest.
We resort to communicate and advise our great party via an open letter with great reluctance if not for the habitual nature of our party leadership attitude of not replying to our correspondences, notably from the tenure of Prince Uche Secondus to date in contravention to section 58 subsection 1(m) of our party constitution. Nevertheless, we will not be deterred to continue to defend our party’s interests.
According to Henry Shield and DZW, “There is a difference between being a supporter of a political party and a politician and being a slave. Many have crossed to slavery without knowing it. A supporter with a good intention for the party or its leader will always point out mistakes and proffer ideas and solutions to the party and leader. A slave continues shouting oh yes! oh yes! to the detriment of the party and leader”.
The constitutional time frame for President Buhari to assent or decline assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill is at its ticking point and yet there is no sufficient pressure from our great party on President Buhari to compel him to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
It was first rumoured that the President will decline assent to the bill and later rumoured that, it will be assented to on 22/2/2022. This date has now been shifted to Friday 25/2/2023. It is uncertain if the President will sign it on Friday. The President and his ruling APC, are getting away with their delay strategy so far because our party has not put sufficient pressure and has wrongfully left that responsibility to Civil Liberty Organizations (CLOs) and the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) alone.
We believe the leadership of our great party is well aware of the danger if the bill is not assented to as well as it’s importance to Nigerians and the electoral system.
The bill, if signed into law, may be a panacea to electoral fraud in the forthcoming 2023 general election and will address the issue of voter apathy, election induced violence, et al. It will be a disservice by PDP to Nigerians under your watch if needed pressure (In Action, not just the usual press briefing) is not made to the dithering President to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill (EAAB).
There is a need also for our great party to redirect our focus on people’s power and not unproductive jamburee’s. People’s power will be the citadel of PDP victory in 2023.
PDP is presently the beacon of hope for Nigerians and they have found a voice in us to trumpet their expectations to the party in power as the largest opposition party in Africa and we cannot afford to disappoint the yearnings of Nigerians on this important issue of Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
However, it seems the spirit of press release and junketing associated with the Secondus led NWC which was one of the major reasons we started the Secondus must Go and the then NWC must resign, has yet again begin to take over the party’s new leadership.
Further, the party is yet to zone the presidency to any region and for now, the ticket is open for all. As we say in our local palace or pegin “delay is dangerous” and also the English dictum says “A stitch in time saves nine”. Feeling and Judging from the pulse of Nigerians, the zone from where the PDP will nominate its Presidential candidate is of great interest to Nigerians.
It is with the foregoing in mind that, we have resolved to make known our unreserved opinion and suggestion that, it’s high time for our great party to mobilize members and citizens for a one million man march led by the national chairman and supported by all NWC, BoT, NEC, PDP Governors Forum, Caucus, Elders and critical Stakeholders of the party.
And we also demand that, without further delay, PDP should announce the zone that should produce the presidential candidate of our great party taking into cognizance and in consonance with section 7 subsection 3(c) of the constitution and tradition of our great party. The truth is that, “PDP can ignore the reality, but PDP cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring the reality”.
We also urge the NWC to give to those PDP members who refused to decamp with their state governors to APC or other parties what we call, “PDP NATIONAL HONOURS”. Like the Zamfara State Deputy Governor, Assembly Members in Ebonyi State, Cross River State, et al. This will be a great incentive to encourage others.
We, therefore, remind our National Chairman of his promise during his acceptance speech to reposition and rebuild and transform our great party into an election wining machine.
Signed:
D. Z. Warmate (Leader)
Tasiu Muhammed (General Secretary)
Barr. Ephraim Nwabuabo (Secretary, Legal Affairs)
Rashidat Abubakar (Secretary, Media and Advocacy)
