The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmadu Adamu Muazu has appealed to all stakeholders and members of the party across the country to put behind them the disappointment of defeat, rest all misunderstandings and put the survival and stability of the party ahead of all other considerations.
The National Chairman in
a statement on Tuesday said though the party’s defeat in the last general
election is painful, members should key into the intervention by President
Goodluck Jonathan and not allow the situation to further divide the party.
“The national leadership
of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has noted the various reactions that
trailed the unfortunate loss of our great party in the last general elections.
“In the last few weeks,
the media has been fishing on these reactions with a section even blowing it
out of proportion to a level that has become a threat to our oneness as a
family.
“As the National
Chairman and a key stakeholder in this party in the last 16 years, I quite
understand and appreciate the concern, pain and frustrations of our members
regarding our defeat.
“I am also deeply
worried about the division the development has generated within the PDP family
especially regarding whether or not the national leadership should be dissolved
as a direct consequence of our collective challenge.
“In the course of
events, there have been reactions and counter-reactions among party members;
mistakes have been made, some of them avoidable, but this is the time to put
all of them behind us and move ahead as our party and its interest remain
paramount and overriding.
“Expectedly, our party
has had a share of media bashing and misrepresentations, which contributed
immensely to the misunderstanding we are facing in our fold.
For instance, in one of
the press reactions from my office, the media quoted one of my aides as saying
that our party will be “buried’ without the National Chairman, a clear
deviation from what was actually said. Such misrepresentations of our party
leaders also abound in the social media and we must be wary of them.
However, I have already issued
a strong warning to all my aides to henceforth desist from making comments on
matters of party administration in the media or any other forum whatsoever.
“Having been a state
governor on the platform of this party for eight years and having the grace of
being a committed member for the past 16 years, I very much appreciate the
reactions of some of our members like Governor Ayo Fayose, whose victory in
Ekiti in June last year helped to strengthen our party, particularly in the
southwest region.
“Nevertheless, in the
larger interest of our party, we all must resolve to bury the hatchet, pick our
pieces and move on to rebuild our party and return to our winning ways.
“In the wisdom of
leadership of the party, we have set the machinery in motion by the
constitution and inauguration of the Post Election Assessment Committee headed
by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu. The needful thing to do
at the moment is for all hands to be on the deck with this committee to come up
with meaningful report that will provide answers to our challenges and roadmap for
the future.
“Furthermore, my absence
from the country lately has led to some apprehensions within the party
resulting in various public interpretations, but the fact is, following the
rigorous campaigns and its attendant toll on my health, I had to yield to the
advice of my doctor to take a two weeks bed rest for proper checks and
recuperations. I am happy to inform all our members that I have been responding
to care and will soon return to the country.
“Finally, I wish to
charge all members that though we have had our setback, we are not down and
out. The PDP remains the largest political party in this country. What we need
now more than ever before is to unite as therein lies our strength as a family.
Fighting ourselves will not yield anyone any good. Our members therefore must
remain focused and join forces with their leaders at all levels to actualize
our collective quest to rebuild the PDP and repositioning it to regain power in
2019”.
Signed:
Ahmadu Adamu Muazu
National Chairman.
