The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is set to flag off its 2023 presidential campaign on Monday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
PDP which lost power to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015 is all out to regain the presidency in the 2023 general elections. A former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar who was the candidate of the party in the 2019 elections and was defeated by the APC, however, is still the flagbearer of the PDP in the 2023 presidential election. PDP has made all efforts to ensure its campaign will make it possible for them to take over power in the next general elections. The main opposition party in its desire to take over power set up a Presidential Campaign Council led by the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, as chairman and the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, as director general. PDP also appointed a former governor of Cross Rivers State, Liyel Imoke as deputy director general, Operations; former National Secretary of the party, Prof Adewale Oladipu, as deputy director, Administration; Raymond Dokpesi as deputy director, Technical and Systems, while Ekwesilieze Nwodo is appointed as deputy director, Research and Strategy of the National Campaign Management Committee. Other members of the campaign council include former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, former Presidents of the Senate, Anyim Pius Anyim, David Mark and Bukola Saraki, as well as members of the National Assembly, former governors and former ministers. However, amidst the desire of the PDP to defeat other political parties in 2023, stakeholders in the party are worried that the crisis in the party might affect their effort. Some stakeholders believed the crisis may affect the ability of the PDP to stage a successful campaign in some states in the country. A source at the PDP secretariat who spoke with The Sun disclosed that the party is worried about the division in its ranks as the 2023 campaigns commence. The source said, “The 2023 poll is ours to lose. But we cannot afford to go to the election with a divided house. If we do, it may cost us dearly." PDP in the last few months have been trying to resource the differences between the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku and the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike. The crisis has seen the camp of Governor Wike's request for the replacement of the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu as its demand to support Atiku in 2023. Governor Wike's camp in a move to press home its demand withdrew from the PDP campaign council. PDP before their withdrawal had made the Governor of Oyo State who is in Wike's camp as the Vice Chairman (South) for the campaign council, while Wike, Samuel Ortom (Benue State), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia State) were named as members of the campaign council. Segun Sowunmi expressed worries as PDP kicks off its presidential campaign on Monday with a divided house. He, however, stated that all hope is not lost as aggrieved members of the party can still join hands together ahead of the 2023 general election Sowunmi said, “it will be interesting to see how the citizens, who are made up of more than 80 million registered voters, how they interpret what their own individual role is in terms of determining who will be the next leader of the country. So, all hope is not lost.” A former PDP national vice chairman (South), Eddy Olafeso in a chat with The Sun called on aggrieved stakeholders in the party to bury their hatchet. Eddy said, “we don’t have to fight each other. Enough of the ugly mess. And abuses of one another. It will not augur well for anybody to continue to fight at this moment. The only people that we need to fight is the APC that has led very backward governance and ruined virtually everything for the country.”This article was originally published on Naija News
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