Osita Chidoka, a former minister of aviation, says the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) needs to win back the northern states to become
a national platform.
Osita said although the party must endeavour not to lose the
south-south and south-east, its focus must be on bringing back the northern
states into its fold.
“The challenge is understanding the future of the party. PDP
is going through a serious metamorphosis. In 1999, PDP was a national party
made up of the north and the south-east and the south-south,” he said.
“In 2003, that changed, PDP became a south-west, south-east,
south-south, middle belt and some northern states party. By 2011, the country
had divided into two, and PDP had become a southern party more or less, losing
all the northern states in the presidential election.
“By 2015, we had lost
including the middle belt, and the PDP was relegated almost to the south-east
and the south-south.
“What we have now in the PDP is what I called a northern
strategy. Restoring PDP as a national platform that cuts across its base in the
south-east and south-south and cuts across the north.
“Without us winning back the north into the PDP as a party,
we will not be able to remain a viable national platform.
“What is at stake
today is the mechanism of doing that. That ability to win back the north into
the fold of the PDP must not be at the expense of losing our base. So, it is
that conversation that is going on within the PDP. I believe we will find a
middle ground in that.”
At a meeting in Lagos on Sunday, an aggrieved PDP group —
comprising Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Samuel Ortom
of Benue, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu — restated its call
for the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu as the party’s chairman.
The group, dubbed G5, announced the formation of ‘Integrity
Group’ and noted that it was still open to reconciliation.
So far, the group has boycotted all the PDP presidential
campaign rallies.
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