By Danladi Garba
[T]he National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has boasted that his party is strategically positoned to win at least 30 states in the 2019 general elections. The PDP chairman said this on Thursday when former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Alhaji Bala Mohammed, led a delegation of state party stakeholders from Bauchi to the National Secretariat of the party to pay him a courtesy call.
Addressing the party faithful from the state, Sheriff, challenged them to go beyond mere show of solidarity and go back to work as family to rebuild the party. Sheriff said unless other aggrieved political bigwigs from the state agree to sheath their sword like the former FCT minister is doing, there would never be headway in the reconciliation effort of the party. “With the present efforts at reconciling ourselves and rebuilding process taking place in the PDP, the party stands a good chance of reclaiming our lost glory.
I like to see us emerge from the 2019 general election with at least 30 governors,” he said. According to Sheriff, Bauchi is one of the most important states of the federation, adding that the state chapter of the party should try to summon a stakeholders’ meeting to kick start reconciliation among its aggrieved members.
He said he was aware of the crisis rocking the leadership of the party in Bauchi but expressed the hope that time had come for all involved to reconcile their differences and to work together in the interest of the party. According to Sheriff, with the calibre of leaders of the party in the state, reconciliation should not be a problem. He promised to be party of any reconciliatory meeting to resolve the problems. “If the North-east has problem and is not resolve I may not have the locus standi as a politician to go outside to seek their mandate,” he sai
In his address, the former FCT Minister, declared that he is ready to extend his hand of friendship to the former state Governors, Alhaji Ahmed Adamu Muazu and Mllam Isa Yuguda, for the progress of the PDP in the state. Mohammed said: “There is no way to write the history of Bauchi State without the mention of Mu’azu and Yuguda. I respect them as my seniors and if I will not constitute a stumbling block to the unity of the state, we are advocating I would rather stand aside for peace to reign. “Instead of washing our dirty linens in public I’ve agreed to bow to any of my ambition in order to ensure that there is unity of purpose for PDP to prosper in the state.
” The former FCT minister who earlier stated that he was among the contenders for the national chairmanship position of the party, said he was pledging his loyalty to the new leadership as Allah gives power to whom He so wishes. He described impunity, arrogance and lawlessness as the cause of the party’s defeat in the last general elections, commending the PDP national chairman for his doggedness, stating that: “You are devoid of such vices that lead to the party’s defeat.
” A member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly and the Minority Leader, Marcus Makama, said the time has come for the PDP to encourage greater youth participation in politics and affairs of the party. The delegation also advised Sheriff to pursue with greater vigour the reconciliatory efforts aimed at wooing back former members of the party who had left the party.
