Saraki-led PDP reconciliation panel to meet governors, NASS caucus

The source explained that the committee, which had a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Ayim; former governors Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Senator Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), and former House Minority Leader, Mulikat Akande, as members, was committed to its assignment.

Emmanuel AmudaDecember 13, 2020

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The Senator Bukola Saraki-led Peoples Democratic Party National Reconciliation and Strategic Committee will meet with governors and the National Assembly members elected on the platform of the PDP within the next two weeks.

A source familiar with the plan confided in our correspondent that a meeting to fine-tune strategies for the series of engagements was held in Abuja, from Thursday until the early hours of Friday.

The source explained that the committee, which had a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Ayim; former governors Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Senator Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), and former House Minority Leader, Mulikat Akande, as members, was committed to its assignment.

The top-ranking party source said, “The meeting provided an opportunity for members to assess the situation on the ground and fine-tune strategies on how best to go about their assignment.

Part of what was agreed was that apart from the informal engagements with individual party members who have grievances, the team will meet with PDP governors within the coming weeks after which they will meet with our National Assembly caucus before going round the states.

“Already, the team leader, Senator Saraki, has had to reach out to Governor Nyesom Wike, of Rivers and his Cross Rivers State counterpart, Ben Ayade, as well as the Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, as part of efforts to get everyone on board.

The committee, which was in Plateau before the recently concluded bye-election, will be going back to speak with party leaders in the state. Most states in the North Central, are essentially PDP states, all we need is for our leaders to come together.”

When contacted, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the National Working Committee had confidence in the high-powered six-member committee.

The NWC inaugurated the committee and gave it the mandate to reconcile party members and guide the party in the area of strategy to reclaim its lost glory ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Meanwhile, a chieftain of the PDP in Ekiti State, Opeyemi Falegan, has called for support for the committee to reconcile the differences among members to strengthen the party.

Falegan said resolution of all differences and ensuring unity among members were necessary at this time to warm the party into people’s minds again especially when Ekiti people were disappointed with the All Progressives Congress government in the state.

The United Kingdom-based PDP chieftain, in a statement in Ado Ekiti, on Saturday titled, ‘2023: Nigerians need PDP now, says Falegan,’ said, “PDP needs such a high level committee, like the Saraki’s, in order to resolve some issues affecting the party, especially at various states before going to the general elections coming up in 2023.”