The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which suffered a major hit when Governor Umo Eno defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in June, is set to bounce back as the building process has begun with committed members who still believe in the ideals of the party, once seen as a religion in Akwa Ibom State.
Checks reveal that some chieftains of the party recently paid a visit to the acting national chairman of the party in Abuja, Umar Damagum, as well as other top officials of the party in a move seen as the first step in the rebuilding process.
Some members of the party have also gathered recently to mark the birthday of the state chairman of the party, Mr Aniekan Akpan at his residence in Uyo, the state capital, which attracted top party leaders including Barrister Emmanuel Enoidem, former national legal adviser of the party, Comrade Ini Emembong, former publicity secretary of the party in Akwa Ibom State and immediate past commissioner for information as well as Chief Chris Abasieyo, also a former commissioner for information among other stalwarts of the party.
Confirming the rebuilding process, Dr Tom Fredfish, a chieftain of the party, told reporters in Uyo, the state capital, that though the party was disappointed with the defection by Governor Uno Eno, it has since put it behind, adding that the party has commenced consultations and is set to bounce back.
Fredfis, who is the convener of the party’s Advocate for Peace and Justice, said committed members of the party were bent on picking up the pieces, adding that the party was still in existence and waxing strong in Akwa Ibom State.
“PDP is still existing, and people remaining in PDP are people of integrity. People who are committed to the party, who know how to rebuild, who can build the party to become what it used to be before the exit of certain persons. I see PDP becoming strong, I see a future in PDP in Akwa Ibom State if what is being planned to do is done properly,” he said,
He said, however, that “some bad eggs” within the party should be shown the way out to enable the party to move forward faster, adding that all issues affecting the party at the national level would be resolved during the party’s national convention.
He suggested that the board of trustees of the party should go to court and claim the states that have seen their governors defect to the APC, adding that the framers of the Nigerian constitution might not have envisaged state governors defecting to another party after being elected on a particular party’s platform.
While commending the governor for the series of humanitarian services being implemented in the state, including the building of schools and health centres across the state, he
“The framers of Nigerian Constitution did not envisage that somebody occupying the office of the governor would escape from his party and that is why the constitution did not insert any clause to protect a political party that has that won because they never believed that a governor given a ticket on one party would decide that he does not want his party again. PDP should go to court and claim its mandate,” he said.
While commending Governor Eno for the series of humanitarian services and the construction of primary schools and the renovation of primary healthcare centres, he advised him to do more in terms of expanding the capital city’s infrastructure to accommodate more people as the population of the city continues to grow.
According to him, instead of the state government planning to build an international hospital, it should rather consider establishing a second health facility in Uyo to provide more people access to healthcare a adding that the state already has a specialist hospital, which he said is beyond the reach of ordinary people of the state.
“Uyo is getting congested, the governor should be able to close the gap between Uyo and the nearby local government areas. He should open new areas for people to have access to a new form of labour and manpower. The new international hospital is uncalled for. Uyo, as the capital city, does not have a hospital. So that the grassroots man that the governor wants to touch can have access to such a hospital. Many ordinary people have never gone to the Ibom Specialist Hospital? The governor should refrain from building an international hospital but should rather build a general hospital in Uyo, so people can have access to secondary healthcare facilities.
