A former Minister of National Planning, Prof Sulaiman Abubakar, has stated that the surest way the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could snatch power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019 was to win the September 10 Edo State governorship election.
He said the survival of the PDP partly depends on winning the Edo election, remarking that bringing Edo State under the PDP family would open the path to true federalism in the South-south region and provide a platform to reclaim power in 2019.
The former minister, who addressed Edo PDP governorship aspirants and other stakeholders in Benin during a session organised by an Edo PDP group, the Unity League, appealed to the governorship aspirants and their supporters to accept the outcome of Monday’s primary election and not cause disaffection in the party.
He said infighting among the PDP family led to the loss of states such as Oyo and Plateau states, informing that only disunity could make the PDP lose the September 10 Edo State governorship election.
In his address entitled, “Edo State Election: The last Hope of the deprived”, Abubakar said, “The South-south must, as a matter of strategy, be under the same political platform. This will be a challenge to the hegemony in the North-west.
“We should not forget that you have been described as people who provided just five per cent of the presidential vote. So, as long as the APC remains in power, you should not expect anything significant.
“The surest way to negotiate, bargain and diplomatically make a point is to be united, integrate and form a formidable front under the PDP. Such political formation is sharper, result oriented and more consequential than a thousand Avengers.”
Responding, two of the PDP governorship aspirants, Hon Matthew Uduoriyekemwen and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, promised to accept the outcome of the primaries, promising to deploy their political structures to deliver victory for the PDP.
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