By Chimezie Godfrey
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic party, PDP has been urged to ensure free, fair and credible primary elections in the various states of the country.
This was part of the resolution of the PDP, National Reconciliation and Strategy Committee (NRSC) headed by the former president of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
Saraki pointed out that the conduct of primaries to elect candidates to represent the party has been a source of great intra-party conflict and friction in the past.
He therefore stressed that as the 2023 general elections is approaching, there is need for the party to ensure that primary elections in various states are conducted in a free, fair and credible manner.
He said,”Mr. Chairman, the report we have come to submit today contains a detailed breakdown of our deliberations with the key stakeholders, members, and organs of our party; the issues that were raised, and our recommendations to ensure that these issues are conclusively resolved to the benefit of our great party.
“Mr. Chairman, we need to point out that while so much has been done there is still so much to do. Our party has recently commenced the journey towards electing candidates to contest on the party’s platform in the 2023 general elections at the presidential, gubernatorial, national assembly, and state houses of assembly levels.
“We have discovered that the conduct of primaries to elect candidates to represent the party has been a source of great intra-party conflict and friction in the past, resulting in the PDP being severely weakened and hampering its chances of success in previous elections.
“Mr. Chairman, we believe that you and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) are men and women of great courage and integrity who have displayed a commitment to our great party, its ideals, and values. We want to advise that the party leadership should at all times adhere to the principles of equity, justice, fairness, good conscience, and inclusiveness.
“The leadership should always be transparent in taking decisions such that those not favoured by the decision can at least see that they have been given a fair hearing and those whose cases prevail can see that they won on merit, therefore having to be magnanimous in victory.
“We urge you, Mr. Chairman, and other members of the NWC to ensure a thorough and extensive scrutiny process in the selection of the people who will be sent to go and conduct the primary elections in the various states as we prepare for the 2023 elections. They must be people who will be fair to all and adhere strictly to democratic tenets. Sanctions should be meted out to those of them who by their actions create a crisis in any state.”
Saraki also urged the party leadership to setting up a standing committee to advise it on the issue of strategy in preparation for the 2023 general elections.
He equally commended the efforts of the NWC in reposition our great party.
“Also, we need to mention that time did not allow us to dwell much on the area of strategy. We had so much to do in the area of reconciliation. It is therefore our recommendation that the party leadership should explore the idea of setting up a standing committee to advise it from time to time on the issue of strategy, particularly as we prepare for the 2023 general elections.
“Let us commend the efforts of the NWC on some of the key steps you have taken to reposition our great party, particularly as they are in line with the recommendations of this committee which you will find in the report we are submitting to you. One example of such great steps is the revival of the defunct People’s Democratic Institute (PDI) to serve as a policy think-tank and centre of the party.
“My colleagues and I are grateful for the opportunity to be of service to our great party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party, its leadership, all its members, and by extension, the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who have long desired peaceful resolution of the crises plaguing the party and our party’s return to the helm of the ship of the Nigerian state to successfully navigate the nation and her people towards sustainable socio-economic and political development,” he said.
