Nigeria PDP: We’ll Win More States in 2011

Following serious internal crises within the party which were reported by THISDAY yesterday, the top hierarchy of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is making desperate efforts to assure its members that there was no cause for alarm, promising to take more states in the next general election.
Quoting inside sources, the newspaper reported that the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party had raised and discussed fears of a possible loss of control of seven states in the 2011 governorship elections because of problems between the incumbent governors and their predecessors.
Coming at a time opposition parties are trying to forge a common front to tackle PDP in the next general election, the leak for the BoT meeting is said to have unsettled party leaders who made a series of phone calls yesterday morning to come up with an official position of the party.
Sources told THISDAY that the National Chairman of the party, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, directed the National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Ahmed Alkali, to issue a statement on the issue.
In the statement, the party admitted that there were problems in some of the PDP-controlled states, but said that it was working towards resolving such crises.
It boasted that it would win more states in addition to the ones currently under its control.
The BoT of the party had at its weekend meeting listed Oyo, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Ogun, Kebbi and Nasarawa States as “problem states”.
It also said that it is for the purpose of resolving such problems that it set up the Elders Committee led by Senator Ike Nwachukwu.
But the PDP, in its statement yesterday, said: “While we acknowledge that there may be challenges in some states which are common in politics and which require urgent attention, they definitely do not threaten our hold, neither do they amount to us pressing the panic button in the build up to the 2011 elections. In other words, whatever problems that exist will never lead us to entertaining fears of losing elections in states under our control.”
The statement said that the party had been taking proactive measures to ensure unity and cohesion within the ranks of the party, noting that one of which is the constitution of the Committee of Elders which has already started mediating in areas where there are noticeable differences.
The PDP spokesman further said: “Even our opponents and adversaries admit even if unwillingly that the PDP is the most formidable, most credible and best organised political party in Nigeria. We are therefore confident, given the dedication and performance of our elected representatives nationwide that we will not only retain the states we now control but also win more in the 2011 elections.”
The party called on members to disregard insinuations that the PDP was already conceding any state to any other party, while urging them to close ranks and work assiduously for the victory of the party whenever elections are called.
THISDAY’s report said the party elders were concerned at the rate of disagreements between incumbent governors and their predecessors in many states.

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