Enoch Shaks
Thousands of Supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) welcome members of the Coalition of PDP Patriots to Shendam Town on Thursday, 8th December, 2016 for the Southern Zonal Meeting of the intelligentsia unit of the PDP in Plateau State. Thousands of people cutting across the APC and PDP were shouting “Chanji Banza, Chanji Wahala”, “Change the idiots”, “Change the Change” etc on sighting of the PDP flag leading members of the PDP Patriots from Jos to Mangu, to Panyam to Shendam in Convoy.
In her welcome remarks, Rt. Hon. Joyce Ramnap, the Southern Zone Chairperson of the Coalition of PDP Patriots thanked all who despite their tight schedules and being in the opposition squeezed themselves to attend the epoch-making event. She appreciated the 17 PDP LGA Chairmen and supporters who came in solidarity with the Coalition of PDP Patriots.
Rt. Hon. Joyce Ramnap harped on the unity of the party so as not to fail supporters of the PDP again. She wants everybody to bury the hatchet , forgive and forget what happened in 2015 that led to the dismal performance of the PDP at the gubernatorial and presidential levels.
She strengthened supporters of the party to remain resolute behind the party as indications are high that the masses are still with the PDP.
Delivering his paper at the political summit organized for the Southern Senatorial Zone by the Coalition of PDP Patriots titled “PDP as a party to beat even in opposition”, Rt. Hon. Istifanus Caleb Mwansat broke the topic into three sub-themes, namely; (1) Evolution, Developments and Successes of the Party between the 4th Republic to the 7th Republic (1999-2015); (2) Where we are today and how we got here (Actions and Inactions); and (3) How can we get out of the present situation?
Rt. Hon. Istifanus Caleb Mwansat in his paper posit that the PDP as a political association and subsequently a political party is a product of the patriotic thinking of serious minded democrats in Nigeria. The party was consummated and conceived on the Plateau but delivered in Abuja on 28th July, 1998. The party was founded on a very solid foundation with a development driven manifesto and well drafted constitution second only to the Nigerian Constitution.
Mwansat further hinted that from the 4th to the 7th Republics, the PDP held sway and established all the anti-corruption institutions that are in use today as well as political, economic and infrastructural development that is second to none.
On how did the PDP get to where it is today, Mwansat said members of the party did not adhere to sections of the constitution of the PDP, for example, “(a) Article 2 of the Party’s Constitution provides for the supremacy of the party which should have been the binding force on all members and organs of the party (b) Article 6:1 of the Party’s Constitution provides …the party shall be a democratic organization… The question to be asked is, has the party been a democratic organization?”.
The Speaker frowned at usurpers who took over the powers and functions of the organs of the party in the name of party leaders, worst of all the governors’ forum. Other things that helped in destroying the PDP was the disregard to Articles 12, 13 and 17 (emergence of party delegates; clientele politics, that is, politics of friends and associates for friends and associates where merit, popularity and acceptability are sacrificed on the altar of friendship and patronage for pseudo loyalty.
On how the PDP can get out of the present predicament and reclaim power soon, Rt. Hon. Istifanus Caleb Mwansat opined that the PDP members must go back to the basics by upholding the provisions of the PDP constitution. He went further to advice that conscious and deliberate efforts must be made to return power to the people whose mandate the leaders hold in trust and never allow such powers to be domicile in the hands of a few merchants of influence or gatekeepers who live with the illusion that one cannot access power except through them.
Mwansat agrees that the PDP is a brand name but the operators of the party must rebrand themselves. He sees rebranding here to mean creation of a new look and feel, for an established product (PDP). He continued that effort must be made for the PDP to be more appealing and relevant to the electorates. The people must be made to have confidence in the PDP via exhibition of good character and attitude towards the people. PDP leaders and members must prove proper knowledge and understanding of contending contemporary political issues and members must be available for themselves and each other.
As a brand, Mwansat likened the PDP to well known household products like Macleans, Omo, Sheltox, etc which have been misunderstood for generic names for tootpaste, detergent and insecticide respectively. He said even in opposition, the PDP remains a household name and thus, remains the party to beat.
In his goodwill message, Prof. Shedrach Best, the Jekadan Kanam and former Secretary to the State Government said the PDP gave Nigerians democracy because the founding members of the PDP were those who approached Late Gen. Sani Abacha, the then Head of State with a letter demanding for democracy and the PDP laid the solid foundation foundation for true democracy everyone is enjoying today. Prof. Best said he is a product of the PDP because it transformed Nigeria while the APC is making Nigerians groan under poverty, hardship and deprivation.
Prof. Best advised the APC to stop complaining and revamp the economy as since the PDP took over power in 1999 under President Olusegun Obasanjo, nobody complained but the PDP went straight to work and improve the per capital income of Nigerians by transforming all sectors of society.
He said the PDP built institutions in the Executive, Legislative and the Judiciary as well as the INEC and Security Agencies unlike the APC that has done nothing other than complain and muzzling the opposition.
Prof. Best insists that during the PDP era, opposition political parties were allowed to win elections but not with the APC who are doing everything possible to make Nigeria a one party State.
On whether or not the PDP will rise again, Prof. Best said because the PDP has very strong shock absorbers, the party shall rise again sooner than later because it is used to falling and rising. He said whether the APC uses the courts or the Sheriffs of this world, the Government can’t kill the PDP.
The Jekadan Kanam and former SSG said for lack of tenets of democracy, the APC does not punish cross-carpeting but rather encourage undemocratic tendencies. Though there is no political party without crises, Best calls for unity and true reconciliation in the PDP. He admonished those running away to remain in the PDP as only cowards and defeatists leave their homes of abode to unknown habitats. After all, the APC, he said has not only failed Nigerians but is in total disarray, visonless, brought hunger, hardships, deprivations, insecurity, kidnapping, fuel increase and high cost of products with no economic plan.
Prof. Best said it’s only the PDP that knows the true meaning of diplomacy as the APC calls everyone a thief in international climes, thereby chasing away prospective investors from all over the world. He enjoined all PDP members to forget and forgive the past to flush out the APC from Aso Rock and Little Rayfield come 2019 with vibrant youths who have the energy and wherewithal to fix Nigeria since the PDP is people oriented while APC is corruption oriented.
In his goodwill speech, Hon. George Taupyen, the PDP Secretary, Langtang North LGA who spoke on behalf of party faithfuls from the LGA showered accolades on the Coalition of PDP Patriots for organising such an event that brought members from the 17 LGAs of the State. He said they are quite encouraged by the la crème of PDP members in Shendam for the meeting and that it shows the PDP is alive and great and will subsequently change the change in 2019.
Taupyen said the Coalition of PDP Patriots has done a great job of conscientising the citizens and voters of the ills of the APC government and why the PDP should allow the 2019 Governorship to go to the Southern Plateau.
The PDP Chairman of Shendam LGA, Hon. Zemnaan Yenseng in his welcome address hinted that the people of Shendam don’t know whether a government is in place or not in place because of lack of development and hardship.
The Shendam PDP Chairman frowed at the situation where APC officials engage in the purchase of choice properties and cars at the detriment of the suffering masses. He called on the PDP to officially zone the 2019 Governorship ticket to the Southern Senatorial District.
On his part, the PDP Secretary of Mikang LGA, Mr. John Tissing called on the party hierachy to ensure Hon. Daniel Na’anlong of the Plateau State House of Assembly, representing Mikang Constituency vacates the seat so that the PDP can reclaim it’s mandate. He said Mikang is PDP and PDP is Mikang, thus, a re-run any day will go in favour of the PDP. Tissing assured the gathering that PDP will win the next LGC elections in Mikang hands down.
Hon. Martins Sambo, the LGC Secretary of Langtang South who spoke on behalf of the PDP in the LGA eulogized the Coalition of PDP Patriots for laying a good foundation for the party in subsequent elections in the State and urged for the adequate information about the party’s activities at the state level.
Sambo urged that Langtang North and Langtang South LGAs are the home of PDP in the State and Nigeria at large with Late Chief Solomon Lar as the foundation chairman of the party.
He insist that the PDP will definitely win Shendam LGA in the next LGC elections with the dismal performance of the APC in the State. He appealed for the State EXCO of the PDP to expedite action on the LGA EXCO of Langtang South.
The Quan-Pan PDP LGA Chairman, Hon. Raymond Dangwam brought warm greetings of the LGA to the Coalition of PDP Patriots and the entire PDP family. The Chairman told the gathering that the people of Quan-Pan have resolved to remain with the PDP considering the deceit of the people by the APC Government in appointments and the hardships people are facing. He pleaded with the State EXCO of the PDP to make a categorical statement zoning the 2019 Governorship slot to the Southern zone.
Hon. Nantim Yaro, the former Secretary of Wase LGC spoke on behalf of the people of Wase LGA. Yaro assured the gathering that the PDP in Wase LGA is intact and ready for the LGC elections. He informed the gathering that even APC members in Wase LGA are saying the PDP is the best political party in Africa as they governed better than the APC. He also wants the state EXCO of the PDP to zone Governorship to the Southern Zone to be able to floor the APC.
Hon. Dr. Emma Loman, the ALGON Chairman Plateau State who spoke on behalf of the 17 LGC Chairmen said the people of the Northern and Central Zones came to strengthen and solidarize with the Southern zone for a meeting of the coalition of PDP patriots. He advised the PDP not to allow themselves to be beaten twice as once beaten, twice shy. Loman urged PDP members to be very wise now because fire has burned everyone before. He said the party should not repeat the mistake it made in 2019 but must forgive and forget.
Loman said with the failure of the APC, it is very easy for a united PDP to capture power back. He said APC has shown that it has no capacity to govern Nigeria well, hence hardships and hunger has permeated the country.
The ALGON Chairman admonished the PDP members to come out enmasse for the LGC elections, cast their votes to the PDP, defend their votes with everything they have and follow their votes to the ward collation centres, to LGA collation centres and to PLASIEC Office in Jos, as the APC has concluded plans to rig the elections using selected and special riggers with the connivance of the PLASIEC Chairman and his commissioners. Loman is very happy with the large turn out of PDP faithful, saying it is an indication that the PDP is still an acceptable party in Plateau State.
Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Go’ar, former speaker and member representing Pankshin, Kanke and Kanam federal constituency at the House of Representatives spoke against fractionalization of the PDP with the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court Judgments in favour of the Sen. Ahmed Makarfi led EXCO of thePDP. He wants all to be united for the progress of the PDP as the APC has now accepted that they have failed Nigerians. Go’ar said the APC has put Nigerians in a very precarious position because during PDPs President Goodluck Jonathan a bag of rice was N7,000 but under APC’s President Buhari a bag of rice is N20,000. Maize was N100 now it is N250; Maggi was N120 per pack now its N350 per pack; petrol was N87 now it is N145 official and so on and so forth. He said there is no need cross-carpeting to the APC because the PDP has a better umbrella to accommodate everyone.
Rt. Hon. Titus Alams, the former speaker and the National Chairman Coalition of PDP Patriots appreciated everybody for making out time to attend the Southern Zone meeting and especially the organizers of the epoch-making event. Alams is very happy with Southern Zone leaders who are making everything humanly possible to make the PDP the strongest party in the State. He re-echoed that if the PDP is strong, all elective positions would be gotten on a platter of gold. The coalition of PDP Patriots moves from Southern to Central Zone and terminate in the Northern Zone and then LGA chapters will be inaugurated.
The Chairman of the coalition appealed to the PDP members to encourage consensus in the next LGC elections to avoid rancor. He advised PDP agents to be very vigilant during and after elections.
Alams urged PDP members to bury their differences and forget about anti-party, Plateau Project and personal conflicts.
Hon. Kemi Nshe, the chairman of Shendam LGC in his remarks urged all to unite and the Governorship will definitely return to the PDP. He said Shendam is PDP and PDP is Shendam thus with proper planning and in free and fair elections, PDP will win at least 13 LGCs.
