By Adeyemi Adeleye
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State on Friday inaugurated a 103-member campaign committee to mobilise votes for the party, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The party’s Assistant Legal Adviser, Mr Mustapha Okandeji, who inaugurated the committee in Ikeja, urged them to labour night and day to return the party to power.
Okandeji urged the committee to be guided by the party’s constitution and relevant electoral law and guidelines.
He also urged them to mobilise votes for the PDP’s Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa.
The Chairman of the committee, Mr Adedeji Doherty, said it was time for the party to return to power at the federal level and also take over Lagos state.
Doherty, who described the forthcoming election as another challenging season for the party, said PDP had, for the past seven and a half years, been kept out of government at the centre.
“We need to work very hard in conjunction with other PDP state chapters to return our party to power at the federal level, for the good of our country and the Nigerian people.
“The challenge before us today, therefore, is to work hard and reverse the electoral misfortunes that I have called your attention to,” Doherty said.
According to him, the Lagos state chapter must make a difference and win the state for PDP.
He said the twin-structure of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) and the Presidential Campaign Management Committee (PCMC) being inaugurated would do the party proud.
Doherty expressed the committee’s resolve to galvanise the party towards winning all elections in the state.
He promised to work with the party’s governorship candidate, Dr Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor), who would be serving on the council as Vice Chairman.
He also promised to work with the State Director of PCMC, Chief Atolagbe Animashaun, and other reputable and experienced leaders to mobilise votes for PDP.
The chairman said that the committee would not be intimidated by the activities of the ruling party, saying that the opposition party would not engage in violence but focus on campaigns to the electorate.
He noted that the PDP was offering to Lagos residents the best combinations in the 2023 Presidential/Vice Presidential candidates.
According to him, Abubakar and Okowa are pan-Nigerians and well experienced, resourceful and healthy.
“I make bold to say they are way ahead of anyone being paraded by the other parties, and will get to work immediately they become elected at the Feb. 25, 2023 general elections.
“We make a clarion call to the people of Lagos State today that the time has come to free themselves from the shackles.
“It is time to say “enough is enough” to the APC by voting for all the candidates of the PDP in the 2023 elections.
“Let me, on behalf of myself and my colleagues, appeal to all leaders and members to close ranks and come together for the great task at hand,” Doherty said.
According to him, it is an undeniable fact that leaders of the party had hurt one another in one form or another.
“Some have suffered certain losses, the consequences of which we are yet to totally put behind us,” Doherty said.
He said that the party leadership shared in the pains of everybody and appealed to all aggrieved members, including aspirants in court, to make more sacrifices to the party.
“I know that for some of us who feel badly hurt, it is not an easy option considering the far length that you’ve gone, but I say with my head bowed that you can do it to show greater love for our party,” he said.
Also speaking,, the PDP’s governorship candidate, Adedeji, appealed to all aggrieved party members to shield sword, and urged them to work for the victory of the party at the polls.
“It is time for the party to move forward,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the campaign council is being assisted by 18 directorates in the campaign committee, headed by a deputy director.
The directorates and their heads include: Media and Publicity (Oluseun Soyinka), Field Operations (David Vaughan), Research and Strategy (Rahman Owokoniran), Volunteer Groups (Taiwo Kuye).
Also inaugurated were: Finance (Alaketu Adedoyin), Election Management (Capt. Olatunji Shelle) and Religious/Cultural Engagement (Hajiya Safurat Abdul-Kareem).
Others were: Documentation/Reporting (Dr Adetokunbo Pearse), ICT/Situation Room (Niyi Adams), Training (Wole Adewunmi),
Also inaugurated included Non-Yoruba Speaking-South East (Jude Obiekwe), Non-Yoruba Speaking-South South (Odili Ofili), and Non-Yoruba Speaking- Arewa (Auwal Maude).
The committees also included: Election Management-Ikeja Division (Sunday Olaifa), Election Management-Lagos Division(Tolani Animashaun), Election Management-Epe Division (Taiye Benedict).
The rest were: Election Management-Ikorodu Division (Niyi Sotomiwa) and Election Management-Badagry Division (Adio Salami).
Members of the committees included the party’s state executive council and other leaders of the party in the state.
Some notable leaders who made the list included Jimi Agbaje, Ade Dosunmu, Philip Aivoji, Gomez Adewale, Abimbola Ogunkelu, Dapo Sarumi, Bayo Williams, and Wahab Owokoniran.
Otgers included Tanwa Olusi, Fatia Shodimu, Wellington Bankole, Tajudeen Obasa, Sola Osolana, Setonji Koshoedo, and Idowu Akinsanya among others. (NAN)
