PDP Failed PDP In 2015; APC Couldn’t Have Won – Elumelu

Former House of Representative member, representing Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, Hon. Ndidi Godwin Elumelu has said that opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) failed in 2015 not because the ruling party,  All Progressives Congress (APC) did anything different but because some bitter members worked against the party.

Elumelu stated this in a interview session with members of the Delta Online Publishers Forum (DOPF), saying that PDP dug it own grave in 2015 when it tried to sideline some of the bigwigs of the party.

The former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Power in the sixth Assembly, said that if PDP can put its house in order, shun impunity, imposition of candidates come 2019, the party would easily recapture power at the national level.

According to him, Nigerians including APC national leader, Bola Tinubu, Senate President,  Bukola Saraki and other top echelon of the ruling party were already regretting their support for President Muhammadu Buhari, maintaining that what is left in the APC is just an empty shelf or shaft, and by the end of March 2018, “unless something changes which I doubt, nothing will be left in the APC.

He said President Buhari will even find it difficult to run its government because most of his cabinet members would deserted him by March if the party continue with its failed policies.

“The chances of PDP in 2019 are very bright, but it depends on us. Let me tell you how PDP failed in 2015, PDP failed in 2015 because some bitter members worked against the party, it was not that APC did anything different.

“PDP failed PDP, though APC would want to take the glory, but that is not true. We failed ourselves, our problem started with arrogance, it started with who are you, we don’t need you, good riddance to a bad rubbish.

He said that the vilification of Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi by the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was the greatest undoing of PDP, saying that Amaechi later demystified Jonathan because his party then, PDP tried to rubbished him.

“Ameachi ought not the to be treated the way he was treated, undermining Amaechi was a gracious error on the part of PDP leadership because Ameachi demystified Jonathan, Northern governors under PDP though were not happy with Jonathan, but they could not confront him, but Amaechi changed all that when he pulled out with some other governors and formed a very strong force in the opposition, with that, Tambuwal asked House of Rep members to move to the APC, while he remain, but later also move.

“But unfortunately all of them, including Tinubu and Saraki are fed up with Buhari and they are regretting supporting the man in 2015. So, what is left of in the APC is just an empty shelf or shaft, and by the end of March, unless something changes which I doubt, nothing will be left in the APC, and Buhari will even find it difficult to run its government because most of his cabinet members would have deserted him.

Speaking on the outcome of the PDP National Convention in which Prince Uche Secondus emerged as National Chairman, Elumelu said; “initially some of us thought that the South-West should produce the party chairman, in order not to make the party look like a regional party.

“However, by the time we put down the candidates looking at their health, strength, focus, drive, resilient, tenacity, strategy, empathy and who will make Nigerian see PDP from the point of integrity.

“We discovered that three candidates stood out, but out of the three, Uche Secondus and Jimi Agbaje were more constant on issues of integrity.

“However, Chief Olabode George was also considered because of his age and experience, making him the third person, but he has issue with integrity, this now narrowed the search to Agbaje and Secondus, but Agbaje was afraid to chest out completely, because Bode George is his political godfather and you cannot force somebody to become something he does not want, that is how we zeroed in on Secondus.

“So, it now depend on the PDP to do things right. The chances are there for PDP to take over and I am happy we have started very well by conducting a credible convention, whether you like it or not, today Secondus is the National Chairman of the PDP.

“Yes, people complained about unity list, there is no where you having that type of elections without unity list, if it is not written, you can have it in your mind. If you want to run for House of Rep and Senate, there must be a unity list at every local government; so, the unity list is not an issue.

“In democracy, we all must not agree, the minority will have their say, but the majority will have their way. So, there is unity list everywhere, but the only thing different is the way it happened which I faulted also.

“And that is what we have been doing in the past, but then each state will handle its delegates in its own way without seeing any flayers.

“The other issue is that if PDP must take over in 2019, there should be no imposition. No leader at the local government, state and at the federal level should attempt to impose candidate on the party, because once you start imposition even for House of Assembly, it will rob us of party unity that is needed to win election, people will be disenchanted and will start leaving the party.

“So, if we must win, we don’t have to undermine anybody, everybody is important, so, if PDP imbibes this, we will take over power at the centre come 2019”.

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