Daily Trust Saturday

National Convention: PDP to allow consensus candidates

...Party writes INEC, secures venue

- Muideen Olaniyi

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it will allow consensus candidates for different positions at its October 30 and 31 National Convention fixed for Abuja.

The Chairman of the 2021 National Convention Organising Committee and Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, stated this yesterday after the

inaugurati­on of the committee by the PDP acting National Chairman, Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, at the party’s National Secretaria­t in Abuja.

He appealed to the zoning committee chaired by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State to complete its assignment in one week to prepare ground for the smooth take off of the committee.

Asked whether the committee would allow consensus candidacy, the governor said, “Of course! The constituti­on of the party allows that.”

Fintiri boasted that the PDP would be in control of 28 states by 2023.

He said, “This is not to say that the present leadership we have in the party have not done well. They have done very well and extra well. They’ve taken this party from 10 governors to about 17 governors before we were robbed at the time. So, I believe, by 2023, we’re going to have where we are in 2015, with about 28 governors and the President.”

The governor dismissed the likelihood of shifting the convention, saying the committee was equal to the task.

He said, “The time is barely enough but we are adequately preparing. I don’t see any reason for any shift. We have written INEC and we have virtually gotten the approval of the venue. So, what stops us from giving the best NWC at the end of October?”

Speaking earlier during the inaugurati­on ceremony, Akinwonmi urged the 279-member committee with members from the six geopolitic­al zones to close rank and ensure that their watchword remained success at the end of the event.

The Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jibrin, expressed confidence in the ability of the committee, saying that PDP would be “normal”.

The Minority Leader of the House of Representa­tives, Ndudi Elumelu, said the inaugurati­on remained a major step towards the task of galvanisin­g the party and Nigerians in general for the task ahead.

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