Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has spoken vehemently about the need to revive the Peoples Democratic Party ,PDP in the South West. “There is need to reverse the declining trend of PDP in the South West. PDP cannot afford to depart from the South West”Atiku said in an aricle titled: There is need to reverse the declining trend of PDP in the South West.
The former vice president said “As a founding member of the PDP, the prevailing situation of the party in the South West is very disturbing.
“I am sure that our party didn’t come to this sorry state in the region because the party men failed to deliver good governance to the people. Landmarks of achievements by PDP governments dot the region.
Atiku observed that “It still remains a paradox to me how the presidential candidate of the party would win massively in all but one state of the South West, yet the party failed to produce a single state Governor in the region and could only produce 18 State Assembly members in the same election. My experience in politics tells me that this paradox can only be explained in one way that is the leadership of the party must have abandoned the party and negotiated the victory of the President at the expense of the Party.
He added that “Recent events have shown that the leadership of the party has demonstrated insufficient sincerity in resolving the numerous crises which are pitching the party members against themselves. Political maneuvering that relies on the politics of patronage and arbitrary application of sanctions will not sustain the popular will of the people through which the party can recover the lost ground.
Atiku revealed that : “A group of concerned professionals with PDP interest from the South West carried out a study in which a state-by-state analysis of the crises in the party was made. The body made far-reaching recommendations in their document which was submitted to the leadership of the Party. If the party leadership had paid attention to some of their recommendations, the outcome of the election in Ondo State could probably have been different.
“It will be useful for the incoming South West Executive Committee to study this report and prepare a blueprint for the reversal of the dwindling fortunes of the party in the region”,he said .
According to the former vice president, “The eloquent silence of respected leaders on the various crises is a disturbing sign which leaves majority of the members confused.
“The national leadership of the party needs to respect the democratic wishes of party members in the zone and discourage the deliberate creation of factions, and upturning the results of duly conducted elections at the various congresses and the national convention.
“In all we do, the adherence to the constitution of the party in the conduct of the party’s affairs is the only hope for sustaining the existence and legitimacy of the party. Also, the legitimacy of the party can only be sustained if the provision of the welfare needs of Nigerian citizen takes precedent in the heart of the leaders rather than primordial politicking” Atiku said.
