Aspirant for the National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
\nRaymond Dokpesi, on Monday, said that with him at the party\u2019s helm of
\naffairs, the PDP will \u201ctake over in 2019.\u2033<\/p>\n
This came as the convention to elect a new PDP chairman holds on August 17
\nin Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital. The PDP has zoned the position
\nto the Southern part of the country.<\/p>\n
Addressing party members and delegates in Asaba, the Delta state capital,
\nDokpesi, however, traced the PDP\u2019s fall in the 2015 General Elections to
\nits deviation from the visions of its founding fathers, saying the easiest
\nway for the party to worm its way back into the hearts of citizens is for
\nmembers to return to those ideals.<\/p>\n
He asked members of the party to embrace the visions of the founding
\nfathers of the party.<\/p>\n
Dokpesi said: \u201cThe vision of PDP founding fathers was to establish a
\npolitical party that would promote national unity and would accommodate
\nthe opinion and voice of every citizen under a common \u2018umbrella.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe PDP founding fathers wanted a party whose operations would be guided
\nby democratic principles, create jobs for its teeming population and make
\nlife a lot more meaningful for the people,\u201d said Dokpesi, who is currently
\non a nationwide campaign tour.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, over time, the party has shifted focus away from these noble
\nideals, and has lost track in the process. To get back on track, we must
\nbe willing to readjust ourselves to the realities of current political
\nchallenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only way to do so is to return to the visions of the founding fathers
\nof the party, a vision that guarantees internal party democracy and allows
\nonly the best from amongst the people to represent us. \u201cLet us sit back
\nand reflect. We have deviated from the visions of our founding fathers and
\nwe need to retrace our steps very quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
He reminded members about the leadership crisis currently hitting the
\nparty at the national level, putting it down to the emergence of Ali Modu
\nSheriff as national chairman, and the credibility baggage hanging around
\nthe man when the party opened its doors to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have come to properly unite the party and bring all contending forces
\ntogether and make PDP virile one more,\u201d he said, urging party members in
\nthe state to remain steadfast.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am confident that with me in charge of the affairs of the party, PDP
\nwill bounce back to glory in no time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we do our little bits, we will bounce back to glory and it would be
\ngood for delta state.\u201d Dokpesi solicited their support, reminding them of
\nsome of his accomplishments in his days with the South-South Peoples
\nAssembly, and how he drew attention to issues in the Niger-Delta,
\neventually making it possible for a south-south president to emerge.<\/p>\n
However, receiving Dokpesi and his campaign team, Kingsley Esiso, state
\nchairman of the party, said PDP could only dethrone APC in 2019 by first
\nhaving a formidable national chairman.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Aspirant for the National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Raymond Dokpesi, on Monday, said that with him at the party\u2019s helm of affairs, the PDP will \u201ctake over in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":51538,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n