Strengthening PDP important now, not choice of presidential candidate — Makinde

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has reiterated the need for a virile and united Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before conversions around choice of  presidential candidate in 2027 general elections.

Makinde spoke to newsmen after a closed-door PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit held on Thursday in Ikeja, Lagos.

The meeting was convened  to deliberate on zoning arrangements ahead of the party’s forthcoming national convention.

Answering questions on whether the  meeting  deliberated on the choice of the party’s presidential candidate for 2027,  Makinde said: “We haven’t even gotten there.

“We need to have a party first before you start talking about presidential candidates. if we don’t have a party, anything that you are trying to do will fall flat.

“So, our efforts right now is directed towards having a virile and united PDP that Nigerians will be proud of, and again will believe in.”

Justifying the need for adequate  consultations  with all PDP stakeholders, Makinde said that the party must close ranks and present itself as a credible alternative.

He said that the party stakeholders at the meeting  had taken far-reaching decisions ahead of the November National Convention of the party.

Makinde said: “We just finished the consultative meeting of the PDP Zoning Committee for the south, and nothing should stop us from consulting.

“Democracy is about the minority having their say and the majority having their way. That is democracy.

“So, we are democrats, the south has taken far-reaching decisions, and in the days ahead leading to the convention

“Our next wider consultations will also take place, and we are sure that those that have been saying that ‘PDP is dead” ‘PDP is now’ a carcass will now the party is much alive.”

According to him, the calibre of people that attended the meeting has proved those who claim PDP is dead wrong.

“They are all here and committed to PDP taking back its rightful position in Nigeria.

“So in the days ahead, some of the things discussed here, you’ll see them,” he said.

Highlighting the prominence of the  stakeholders at the summit Makinde said that meeting had Gov. Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Gov. Peter Mba of Enugu, represented by his deputy, Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun, who earlier left to address an issue in Oshogbo.

“Gov. Adeleke is here, he came back into this country, I believe this morning, and then he went straight to Osogbo to address some governance issues, but he said, whatever we decide here is with us.

“Gov. Diri is here, Gov. Peter Mba, who couldn’t make it physically, but sent the deputy governor.

“We have the Chairman of our Board of Trustees here. We also have at least 12 of the 17 members of the zoning committee from the south. It’ is one per state. So, we have 12 states here.

“We have Rep. members and senators from each zone in the south, the three zones. We have BOT members from the three zones in the south. The organisers have scored about 100 per cent.

“Consultation means you keep reaching out, you keep engaging. So from this meeting, we will also reach out and engage and even do more.

“We are trying to get all stakeholders, all tendencies in the PDP together so that we can give a credible alternative to Nigerians in the years ahead,” he said.

He said though the  consultative meeting was  not something  statutory in the PDP constitution, “democracy requires inclusivity, reaching out and ensuring that all stakeholders are carried along.,”

Makinde said that the party would continue to reach out to all interests ahead of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party.

He said that PDP  has  good plans for Nigerians, appealing to the people to continue to support the party.

Makinde saud   the victory of the party  in Saturday’s by-election in Oyo state showed that the party was not dead.

“In most other places of the 12 states, PDP came second in each of those. It is   an  indication to us that if we continue to work hard, if we continue to strive hard, if we continue to bring our people together, we will get to a point where Nigerians will really start listening to us.

The meeting, called  under the auspices of the PDP Zoning Committee, chaired by  Diri.was also  attended by former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Chief Bode George and BOT Chairman, Sen. Adolphus Wabara.

Also in attendance are former Governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa-Ibom), Senator.Ben Obi,a  former Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Mrs Jumoke Akinjide, among other stakeholders.

Loyalists of Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, were conspicuously absent at the meeting.

Recall that party leaders in the camp of Wike had earlier in the day dismissed the Lagos meeting as “illegal” and “exclusionary.”