PDP’ll take over power in 2023 – Ayu

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, has said the party will take over power at the federal level, come 2023.

Mr Ayu stated this during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), which held on Wednesday night in Abuja.

The meeting was centred on making plans ahead of the party’s primary elections scheduled for May 28 and 29.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the presidential election for February 2023.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the PDP decided to throw open its presidential ticket for all aspirants amid calls that the ticket be zoned to the South.

The party also constituted a three-member committee to plan and organise the “special national convention.”

In his welcome address at the NEC meeting, Mr Ayu said the leadership of the party had worked round the clock in preparation for the convention and that the party was now “more united and determined to work hard and reclaim power in 2023.”

The PDP was in power between 1999 and 2015 when it lost election to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Everybody is working hard. I believe with this spirit we will definitely do very well in the forthcoming election and nothing will stop us from taking over power come May next year.

“Your money will be spent wisely, there will be financial discipline and you will see how we spent your money. What we try to do is to try and make this place a much more pleasant place for you to come and hold meetings.”

APC presidential ticket, a rendezvous

In his address, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, asked the federal government to resolve the lingering ASUU strike.

He also asked the federal government to free kidnapped victims of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack.

The lawmaker queried ministers who have declared an interest in the presidential race, of being more interested in rendezvous and personal interests than “the job at hand.”

He accused the All Progressives Congress of parading a congregation of pretenders, flocking treasury looters, narrow-minded politicians, and failed government officials – who were recruited as conduits to siphon billions of naira from public treasury as exorbitant nomination fees to corruptly amass election slush fund for the party.

“They include those who condone and rationalise the daily killings and acts of terrorism in our country; who sit in government that deliberately deny our youths the education and opportunities they deserve; failed politicians, rejected by Nigerians, yet they have the impudence to seek office as President,” he said.

He described as provocative that while thousands of Nigerian university students are out of school over the lingering strike by lecturers in public universities, the ministers whose responsibility it is to address the issues are more interested in politics.

“We call on the federal government to immediately resolve the industrial action so that our students can return to their studies and also address the challenges in the aviation sector as well as the lingering fuel crisis which has further crippled our nation’s economy.

“More importantly, we call on President Muhammadu Buhari to take stronger steps to secure the release of those abducted by terrorists in the Kaduna/Abuja train attack and especially the woman who put to bed at the den of kidnappers. We must not let our citizens continue to languish in captivity.”

While he said so many credible presidential aspirants have emerged, he urged the party to remain united and focused.