Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives, have promised to support a consensus candidate for the post of national chairman as the party at the National Convention slayed for December, 2017.
Tajudeen Yusuf, Secretary of the caucus disclosed this in Abuja, after an interview session with two national chairmanship aspirants, namely: Jimi Agbaje and Taoheed Adedoja, former minister of Sports and Youth Development.
The caucus had last week Wednesday met with Tunde Adeniran, former Minister of Education; Raymond Dokpesi; Uche Secondus; former PDP Deputy National Chairman and Bode George, former PDP Deputy National Chairman.
Yusuf said that they will support a consensus if majority of the stakeholders opted for it.
“There’s a school of thought that believe that if we can reach a consensus without an election, that’s a good thing for PDP. Then there are those that are thinking and working along the line. It’s fine.
“Why, because it’s assumed that if we do not manage it well, we might find a spillover of the congress. So we have a conviction that if a consensus is reached, so be it. We’ll go by the consensus. We’ll even be part of building it if need be.
“However, we’re not promoting it, we are aware and we are supporting it, but we are not initiating it,” he noted.
While reacting to questions over the absence of two other aspirants, Gbenga Daniel, former Governor of Ogun State, and Rasheed Ladoja, former Governor of Oyo State,
“They did not send representations. The two haven’t come and they have not communicated back to us.” Yusuf said.
Yusuf who expressed satisfaction over the resolution of the crisis bedeviling the leading opposition party, said: “The People Democratic Party have gone though a lot. We need bridge builder because of the cleavages in the party. We need a binding force, someone with a large heart who will say, I mean all things to all men, know when to abase and when to abound. That’s what we’re looking for.
“That’s what Nigerians need at this particular time. A chairman that will be the face of the alternate, a chairman that will market the party to Nigerians and say hey, we’ve gone through this rough journey for he past two and a half years, there’s hope. That’s who were looking for.
“It must not be a new person, it could be a new person. But he must have that definite character of being able to galvanize the party, reposition the party in such a way that Nigerians will believe in the party.”
One of the aspirants, former PDP Lagos State governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje in a chat with reporters after his session with the lawmakers said the PDP ” has learnt it’s lesson as a party.”
According to him “we will build and unite. So, we’re talking of uniting all power blocs and groups together. Nobody is underestimating the task of unseating an incumbent government, but we know it’s possible. We’re geared up, and if we get our acts together, we will unseat them.
“In any case, we have not seen them with the capacity to deliver on goods and services. The capacity is not there.”
On the fight against corruption, he said: “I think it’s clear that the ruling party today will understand that fighting corruption is not Houston by word of mouth, not just by media. That it’s more fundamental.
“And we know because we’ve been there. Because we appreciate that, that was why PDP set up all those bodies, the EFCC, ICPC. If you look at the latest NNPC scandal, you will see that it’s systemic.”
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
