PDP: YRD still fit to rule

Its National Executive Committee (NEC) also declared its readiness to sanction party members disloyal to its cause.

The NEC met in Abuja, where it came down hard on those canvassing for the resignation of Yar’Adua, and asked them to think again, because all humans are prone to occasional ill-health.

A statement issued after the meeting decried “the dirty antics employed by some of these politicians in forging the names of some prominent Nigerians in an attempt to gain unmerited legitimacy.”

The PDP prayed for the quick recovery of Yar’Adua, and directed all state Chairmen to organise similar prayer sessions.

It commended Nigerians for their goodwill, solidarity, and prayers for Yar’Adua whose health “has steadily been improving and is determined to return as soon as possible to continue his good works.”

On the choice of Chukwuma Soludo as the party’s candidate for the Anambra State Governorship election on February 6, 2010, it noted that its National Working Committee (NWC) acted in good faith, and pledged to stand by Soludo, no matter what happens.

The party mandated its National Legal Adviser to ensure that all pending court cases over Soludo’s candidacy are resolved, so as not to jeopardise his campaign.

Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan, assured that Soludo will take part in the ballot, regardless of attempts by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to shut out the party.

He enthused that the Supreme Court will give a favourable judgment to the PDP in its quest to field Soludo.

The Court of Appeal on December 4 barred the INEC from recognising Soludo as the PDP candidate, a decision he has challenged at the Supreme Court.

Jonathan told the meeting that Soludo will win the election, no matter who conducts it.

The Supreme Court will on Monday hear the appeal brought by Soludo, according to a source at the court, who said a panel of Justices has been constituted to hear the case expeditiously as the INEC has removed his name from the list of candidates, based on the Appeal Court ruling.

“The NEC observed cases of indiscipline still exist in the party and re-emphasised its earlier position on stemming this. It therefore directed that henceforth, any member who takes the party to court without exhausting the internal conflict resolution mechanism in Article 21.1 (1) of the PDP constitution be referred to the Disciplinary Committee for severe and prompt sanctions,” the statement added.

“Furthermore, the NEC declared that any member of our party that supports or sponsors a candidate from another political party in any election is guilty of anti-party activity and will be punished accordingly.”

Jonathan also assured PDP members that it will be difficult for another party to dislodge it from power.

His words: “I always tell people that even if you conduct a Presidential election 100 times and bring angels from the moon to conduct it, the PDP will still win.

“As a human system, there may be some errors or flaws or perceived discrepancies in terms of the management of elections but there is no other party today that I can say has a bigger followership than the PDP.

“If politics is a factor of the people, if the numbers matter, there is no reason any other party will win.

“After the 2007 elections and whenever people came up with the feelings that the PDP rigged, I would say, ‘Look, I was the Governor of Bayelsa State when we contested the Presidential election, though the population of Bayelsa is low – but because it is a strategic state because of the oil industry and the factors in the Niger Delta – any party that is worth winning is supposed to go there and campaign.’

“Not many parties campaigned there, and in quite a number of other states, and people would just sit down without campaigning and say they would beat the PDP.”

PDP National Chairman, Vincent Ogbulafor, complained about the attacks launched against the party by the opposition, and urged party members to defend it.

Said he: “We have a challenge now in terms of Anambra elections and as 2011 is moving nearer the challenges will be more. And I believe the Anambra election is another test case.

“I am not really worried about the Anambra election because if you look at the INEC’s position, the PDP is contesting the election. They are not saying that the PDP will not contest, the issue is that we are yet to sort out our candidate.

“I believe it is a classical case and all Nigerians will be watching how these things will progress.

“My conviction is that of course the INEC cannot stop the PDP from contesting the election. The PDP’s name is there and we have to contest that election, so nobody should be worried, nobody should be discouraged.

“If you look at some of the judgments that have been given by the Supreme Court, you will see that the party is supreme, and I believe that there is no way the PDP will not contest the election.”