The National Reconciliation Committee of the People’s Democratic Party led
by Governor Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State made serious efforts at
post-convention reconciliations on Tuesday as it visited key stakeholders
who gave positive reaction on the imperative of a united and strengthened
party,
A former Candidate for the position of the National Chairman of the
People’s Democratic Party, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, urged the Governor
Dickson-led committee to reach out to all candidates and as many members
of the party in the bid to reconcile the party.
The Special Adviser, Media Relations to Governor Dickson, on Media
Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, quoted Adeniran as having made the comment
while hosting the Reconciliation Committee members in Abuja on Tuesday.
Adeniran stressed that it was important to also reach out to as many
members of the PDP who did not contest for any position but fought
gallantly to ensure the preservation of the party.
He said, “We should try to interact with various players; that I will
suggest that we should not leave any stone unturned to reach out as much
as possible. There are those of us who carried the flag, but there are
some others who are key players in this party, who may not even contest
for positions but they are no less concerned about this party.
“When you look back, you can see some of those key members of the
concerned stakeholders who fought gallantly to ensure that indeed this
party survived. So let the contacts, the consultations, be as all
embracing as possible; it takes time, it takes energy but then what is
worth doing is what is worth doing.”
Adeniran stressed that Dickson assumed the position of the chief
conciliator of the party not just because he is a governor but because of
commitment to the party, his integrity and sense of fairness and justice.
He said that no genuine member of the PDP would doubt the eligibility of
Dickson for his role as the head of the party’s team on reconciliation.
“You said something earlier on that may be, what prompted you to lead this
team is because you are a governor. I believe far much more than that;
there are certain qualities that majority of us have come to appreciate in
you ,which you should keep up.
“I don’t see any genuine member of this party who will question your
choice for this kind of role. It is not necessarily because you are a
governor, it is because you are passionate about this party, it is because
you have a sense of fairness, you also believe that things should be done
properly, as you carry everybody along in what you are doing.”
Also, a former Minister of Information and Orientation, Prof Jerry Gana,
who was visited by the committee, said he would never leave the PDP for
whatever reason.
However, he said that he had serious observations that would make the
party stronger.
The Committee also visited a former Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Ina
Ciroma, who contested for the position of Deputy National Chairman, North,
and a former Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ibrahim Mantu.
Mantu saidDickson’s selection for the position of the Chairman of the
Reconciliation Committee was divine in view of his demonstrated commitment
as chairman of the other committee on reconciliation.
He said that the party should focus on the 2019 elections, and Struve hard
to restore the party’s lost glory.
Mantu said that the PDP was still lucky that the current government had
nit performed better than the party, adding that the AOC was not
alternative to the PDP.