Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State on Monday urged the new National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, to ensure the return of defected PDP governors to the party.
Akpabio, who is the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, made the call at the party’s 64th National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja.
He spoke on behalf of PDP governors at the meeting where Mu’azu emerged following the resignation of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the party`s former national chairman on January 16.
Akpabio said: “We do not want to lose more PDP governors.
“Instead, we want to gain more.
“The first task that the national chairman will be faced with is to try to bring back estranged members of our forum.”
He added that the forum was ready to cooperate with the new party national chairman to ensure his success in this direction.
Akpabio expressed the hope that President Goodluck Jonathan would be re-elected in 2015.
This, he said, would end the current campaign of calumny against some PDP governors.
He decried such campaigns, adding that some PDP governors were being blackmailed on a daily basis.
“The campaign of calumny against governors is too much and I think it is important for the people to note that we are prepared to support the leader of our party and the party to ensure victory in 2015,” he said.
He urged the new party chairman to recognise PDP governors as leaders of the party at the state level and the president as the party’s leader at the national level.
Akpabio also advised party leaders to work with Muazu to ensure the success of the party and Nigeria in general.
“Let us try and avoid the banana pill that had affected past party chairmen and that banana pill had been the conflict between national chairman and the state, led by the governor,” he said.
This, he said, started the crisis between the home state governor in Adamawa State, Alhaji Murtala Nyako, and Tukur, who is from the state.
He maintained that some “political jobbers” took advantage of the situation and tried to run the party down.
Akpabio expressed optimism that the situation would be different this time because the new party national chairman was nominated by the state governor.
He stressed that this was extremely uncommon, adding that it was a sign that things were changing in the party and that the future of the party and the country was brighter.
Chief Tony Anenih, the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, thanked Jonathan for his patience, zeal and wisdom in guiding the party.
Anenih said that there was hope for the party if Muazu worked with the Bauchi State Governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, who nominated him for the position.
He pledged the support of the BoT members to the new chairman to enable him succeed and to ensure the success of Federal Government’s transformation agenda.
Governor Babangida Aliu of Niger State, who was among the seven governors that walked out of the party’s August 2013 Special National Convention, was at the meeting.
Aliyu moved for the adjournment of the meeting after the day’s proceeding.
Other governors present at the meeting included those of Kogi, Benue, Kebbi, Kastina, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Bauchi and Plateau States.
The President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, also led members of the Senate to the meeting, which was also attended by all PDP past national chairmen and national secretaries among other chieftains.
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