Abuja: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is gearing up to make a bold statement at its upcoming national convention, scheduled for November 15–16 in Abuja.
According to National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, the event will highlight the party’s ability to unite, organise, and respond to challenges with resilience and inclusiveness.
Ologunagba stated this on Tuesday in Abuja during a news conference on the update on the party’s forthcoming elective national convention.
He stated that one of the party’s initiatives was to ensure that every state organ and stakeholder was involved in the selection of the committees, adding that the party would soon publish the lists of the sub-committees.
Ologunagba said that the party was excited about the level of preparations so far by various committees and stakeholders, noting that several committees were already working for the success of the convention.
“To show the inclusiveness of our party, every state chapter contributed to populating those sub-committees.
“Every organ of the party, the Board of Trustees (BOT), the Governor’s Forum, the state chapters and all other relevant bodies and stakeholders are all accommodated.
“This is because we’re determined to make a powerful statement about the capacity of this party to organise itself, to bring itself together. There are challenges that we face.
“To ensure that every organ, every party member has a sense of belonging, because we’re truly the people’s democratic party,” he said.
Ologunagba said that the feedback from the field had shown that the party was ready for Ibadan.
“We’re very ready. We are coasting on. We’re determined because this would show the capacity of PDP to stand up, to defend democracy, to do the right thing,” he said.
Responding to a question on the speculation that there was a possibility of having a parallel convention, Ologunagba said that the party was not aware.
He said that the party had a process and a constitution guiding its actions, adding that “interestingly, the process has started, we have been in sync with our regulator, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which has been attending all the meetings.
“They have witnesses to all the things we’re doing. That might be a media hype, people testing the waters. It does not exist.
“The local organising committee is working already ahead of time. Even before the inauguration of those sub-committees, they’re already working. And we’re methodical in the things we do,” he said.
On the performance of the party in the Saturday by-elections, Ologunagba said Nigerians would not allow what happened during the election to repeat itself in the 2027 general elections.
He alleged that the by-elections were marred by violence, intimidation, attacks and the arrest of opposition members, including PDP elected members, in different states where the elections took place.
“I have bad news for APC. What happened in those by-elections, which they call elections, will not occur in 2007.
“Why? The reason is that Nigerian people are wiser,” he said
He said that Nigerians would vote based on the prevailing challenges facing them and the country.