My chairmanship will bring back OBJ, others to PDP —Dokpesi

An aspirant for the chairmanship position in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the August 17 national convention, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, has said on Thursday, that his chairmanship would pave the way for the return of former leaders  to the party’s fold, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Dokpesi, who addressed newsmen in Abuja, said his decision to contest the chairmanship position did not amount to anti-party activity, noting that his mission is to win the 2019 election.

He also insisted that his trial for alleged money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was a mere political witch-hunt, which he said, would fail at the end of the day.

Dokpesi said nothing had changed from the strategy adopted by the Muhammadu Buhari-led government in the fight against corruption in 1984 and the strategy being adopted today.

“Let me say this very clearly, in 1999 it was the AD and APP that contested against the PDP and PDP won. In 2003, it was AD and APP and others, were they able to win?  it was not until some people left the PDP that they were able to win. Those other parties are barren. It is the PDP people that joined them that impregnated them and they produced the APC government.

“The truth of the matter is that as part of reconciliation and my mission is to win 2019, I  will deploy all available machinery to do that and whoever is offended along the line, let me start from now by saying that I tender unreserved apology to them on behalf of the party and we are going to open the doors to allow then to come in,” he said.

“I am not hoping  to carry forward any past animosity, for instance you don’t want to see the face of Baba Obasanjo in the party, why? The constitution of the party says anybody above 18 is free to come in.

The potential presidential aspirants from the North that left the party, I will be creating room for them to come in.

“All I will assure everyone is that I will create a level playing field. Anyone who wants to be the president of Nigeria will have to travel round just like I have travelled round campaigning. I am not an agent of anybody and I feel insulted when I am told or hear them say somebody is sponsoring me. Sponsoring me to do what.”