Bayelsa state Governor Douye Diri has expressed the conviction that the feud within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would soon become a thing of the past.
Senator Diri stated this on Sunday during the PDP South-South Zonal Stakeholders meeting at the Ibom Hall in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State ahead of the party’s presidential campaign flag-off on Monday.
The Bayelsa governor, who described the PDP as a big family that has held sway in the South-South geo-political zone, noted that in such large families there were bound to be disagreements.
His words: “South-South is the only zone that has a preponderance of PDP governors. Therefore, it should be the zone to kick-off the PDP presidential campaign.
“We have also been lucky to produce the vice presidential candidate.
“PDP will continue to demonstrate strength in the six states of the South-South. Our party is a big family and in any of such families, it is normal to have differences. I strongly believe that the differences would be settled soon and we will come back as one indivisible party.
“Our region is blessed with human and material resources as well as politically and we will continue to add value to Nigeria and the party.”
In his remarks, the PDP Vice Presidential candidate and Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, said the essence of the meeting was to strategise on how to mobilise the people at all levels to ensure a landslide victory for the party in next year’s general election.
Senator Okowa also acknowledged the role of the PDP governors in development of the region, stressing that time had come for the party to rescue the country from insecurity and economic downturn.
Also speaking, the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, noted that with the impressive turnout of stakeholders at the meeting, it was a clear indication that the party was ready to clinch victory in 2023.
According to him, the outcome of the Edo and Osun elections was a clear testimony that the PDP was the party to reckon with in the election.
In his contribution, Chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, described the PDP as the pillar of the South-South region
Mr. Emmanuel underscored the need to go into the election as a strong team not only to make a strong impact but also to ensure that the party took over the leadership of the country in order to reposition the economy.
Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, former governors of Edo, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, Cross River, Senator Liyel Imoke, Rivers State, Celestine Omehia, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi, were among party leaders that delivered goodwill messages at the meeting.