By Emmanuel Oloniruha
As part of moves to reposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) on Tuesday paid a consultative visit to former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, at his Abuja residence.
Speaking to newsmen after the closed-door meeting, Turaki said that the party was being repositioned to reclaim its status as Africa’s largest political party and return to its “winning days.”
He described the visit as an essential step aimed at introducing the new NWC members to Sambo as well as to brief him on the prospects and challenges facing the PDP after its recently elective National Convention in Ibadan.
Turaki said that the former vice president provided generous advice and guidance on repositioning the party as a formidable winning platform.
“The most important thing for us this evening is the assurance that His Excellency had given us that he is and will continue to remain a member of the PDP.
“His excellency had assured us that very soon that he will become more active than he used to be.
“He assured us that should there be anything at any time that requires his attention, that we should not hesitate to run to him and he will be up and doing. He will be there for us.
“We are happy that the leaders behind the PDP’s past successes are firmly with us,” Turaki stated.
He expressed confidence that with the backing of the party’s founding fathers, the PDP was on course to win upcoming elections, including the FCT Area Council polls and the off-season governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States.
Asked if former President Goodluck Jonathan would be contesting on the party’s platform, Turaki maintained that the party had already decided to zone its presidential ticket to the Southern part of Nigeria.
He said that while the party did not yet know who the specific candidate that would emerge, the process would be open, transparent, fair, and equitable.
“If for whatever reason, anybody wants to contest, we want to assure you, Nigerians, that you will be the deciders of who becomes your candidate,” he said.
Reacting to the dismissal of Samuel Anyanwu’s case at the FCT High Court, Turaki described the judgment by Justice M. Umar as a “vindication” for the PDP family.
He argued that the court’s decision reinforced the principle that the judiciary should not meddle in internal political party matters.
“The judgment has vindicated us that we are the genuine leaders of PDP and that our convention was legitimately done.
“People cannot just go into a corner and ascribe leadership to themselves. This is a political party.
“This is not a market association, neither is it an association of shoe-shiners. This is a political party, and there must be discipline,” he said.
On how the party is accelerating its various court cases, Turaki, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, explained that the party had fulfilled all necessary legal filings.
He noted that the NWC was currently waiting for the President of the Court of Appeal to decide whether a local or special panel would be set up to determine the appeals.
“We are now in a position where all briefs are in, and we’re waiting for the president of the Court of Appeal, in her own wisdom, to decide which panel, whether it’s going to be a local panel here in Abuja, or a special panel that will be set up that will now sit and determine these appeals.
“Again, whether these appeals will be taken simply, or they’re going to be consolidated by the Court of Appeal, is something that is absolutely within their discretion.
“For us, we have fulfilled all righteousness. We’ve done everything that we need to do. We’re waiting for this to be given for us, for our lawyers to go and argue our appeals,” Turaki said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Maureen Atuonwu
