Why PDP was able to conduct transparent convention ― Lukman, DG PGF

The main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been commended for conducting a transparent national convention where a new set of national officers emerged at the weekend.

Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum, the forum of governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, Salihu Lukman, gave the applause on Monday in a statement.

Lukman who declared that the erstwhile ruling party abused internal democracy for the 16 years it was in the saddle in the country, attributed weekend seamless exercise to the PDP loss of the central government.

Lukman claimed it would have been difficult for the main opposition party to conduct a national convention with general acceptability if it were in control of the Presidency.

He said: Nigerian should wish PDP, its leaders and party members well. Nigerians should hope that PDP leaders will build on the successes of the National Convention to re-orient their politics based on honesty and respect for one another. Being honest should be about taking responsibility.

“From all indications, PDP leaders have only moderated themselves and submitted to processes of internal negotiations up to the National Convention because they are out of power at Federal level. It can be predicted that had PDP been the ruling party in the country, the approach would have been different.

“Probably, as was the case with all previous PDP leaders, new leaders would have emerged without any negotiation and the National Convention would have been reduced to window dressing ritual, legitimising the instructions of a serving PDP President.

“Perhaps, everything leading to the PDP National Convention happened because there is no serving PDP President acting as the leader of the party. Good enough, being out of power, PDP leaders had to respect the democratic process, which raises the hope of especially PDP members that the party is being reformed.”

Lukman who expressed concern over negative comments attributed to certain chieftains of the PDP at the weekend who accused the APC led Federal Government of ineptitude and corruption, challenged the new leadership to be led by Senator Iyorchia Ayu to set machinery in motion to investigate the fund spent so far on the abandoned PDP national secretariat.

The DG, PGF maintained that such a declaration to investigate the multi-billion Naira project would inspire Nigerians confidence that the party was sincere in its public outcry against perceived corruption.

“It may be necessary to also request the newly elected leadership of PDP under Dr Iyorchia Ayu to perhaps investigate the management of funds mobilised for the construction of the 12-storey PDP National Secretariat located on Muhammadu Buhari Way, Central Business District, Abuja, which is now abandoned as a demonstration of commitment to rescue Nigeria.

“Having mobilised close to N30 billion and expended over N16 billion, a born-again PDP leadership committed to rescuing Nigeria should be able to fix its internal problems first. Like it is often said, charity begins at home. A party that is committed to rescuing Nigeria should first and foremost rescue itself from its internal adversaries.”

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Why PDP was able to conduct transparent convention ― Lukman, DG PGF