The leadership of the new faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday said there was no going back in its mission to salvage the crisis-torn ruling party.
The National Secretary of the splinter PDP, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who said its leadership, led by Abubakar Baraje, was encouraged by the overwhelming support it was receiving from party faithful across the country, also sent a condolence message to the party’s Adamawa State chapter over the road crash that killed some of its delegates to the ill-fated convention held last Saturday in Abuja.
Mr. Oyinlola restated the resolve of the new PDP leadership to sustain its mission to rescue the party, as members and leaders from all states of the federation have continued to reach out to its secretariat in solidarity.
“Alhaji Baraje and other leaders of the party appreciate the overwhelming outpouring of support and encouragement from genuine members and leaders of the party across the country,” he said. “We assure them that we will not disappoint them in the mission to make the PDP work again in the interest of Nigeria and its people.”
“We also appreciate the efforts of leaders of the party, particularly President Goodluck Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo who, we note, have scheduled a meeting of the party elders for this week. We respect the elders and will be guided by them, even as we stress that we will not abandon the ideals of justice and fairness that gave birth to the new party leadership under Alhaji Baraje.
“We equally call on all party members across the country to remain peaceful and law abiding as the PDP rescue process is being pursued with vigour. We owe the coming generation of Nigerians a duty of ensuring that impunity and dictatorship do not take any root in our democracy and, indeed, in our nation.”
Mr. Oyinlola, a former National Secretary of the undivided PDP, was appointed scribe by the splinter PDP group whose members include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and seven serving PDP governors.
The presidency has been scrambling since Saturday, when the splinter group announced its formation, to resolve the crisis among the PDP leaders.
Mr. Jonathan met with some of the party’s governors including the splinter governors on Monday night with the meeting expected to continue on Tuesday evening.