The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday boasted that it would win presidency and not less than 25 states across the country in next year’s general election.
Dr. Iyorchia Ayu,PDP National Chairman at the presentation of certificates of return to the party’s governorship candidates, said Nigerians would reject the All Progressives Congress (APC) because the party lacked the capacity to rule Nigeria.
Certificates of return were presented to PDP candidates in 26 out of 28 states where governorship elections would hold next year.
Three of the candidates -Ahmadu Finitri (Adamawa), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) – were returning governors, while 23 were fresh candidates. The new candidates were: Ladi Adebutu (Ogun), Kefas Agbo (Taraba), Mohammed Ashiru (Kaduna), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Prof. Uche Ikonne (Abia) and Mustapha Sule Lamido (Jigawa). Ebonyi and Kano candidates were omitted from the list due to litigations.
Ayu, who addressed the candidates, expressed the confidence that PDP would retain all its 13 states, because our governors have performed very well. “Most of them performed very, very well.
We don’t have any fears that the people will vote them back to power or their successors to power in those states where we don’t have governors.
“People have seen the ineptitude, the incapacity of the APC-led administration from the governorship level to the presidency, and I’m sure by next year, people will be voting PDP. So we are also very sure that we will capture most states.”
He told the candidates to mend fences with aspirants who contested against them “because they contributed in mobilising and growing our party.
“All of you must therefore work very hard to reconcile with whoever opposed you, work with everybody, carry everybody along.”
Ogun State candidate, Adebutu, said he had started reconciliation process among PDP members in the state.
“I can assure you that we have already embarked on that duty. We will continue to reach out to those that feel that they have a grouse.
“I am sure that with time, we shall have total reconciliation and we shall even extend hands of fellowship beyond the party and make it an intra-party thing,” he said, adding that some people from other parties were trying to join PDP.
The candidate stated that PDP stakeholders would be involved in choosing his running mate. PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, charged the party members to unite to ensure the success of the party in the general election.
