Our party the PDP had a very well attended campaign flag off in Uyo the Akwa Ibom State capital on the 10th of October 2022.
The event can be said to have been largely successful but for the attendance of five of our state Governor’s which has not only put a dark patch on the cover of the event souvenir but has indeed called to question the readiness of our leadership for governance.
From all the speeches made at that event, the most regrettably naive and indeed divisive comment can be credited to our estranged National Chairman Dr Iyorchia Ayu.
Dr Ayu’s remarks at that event has sadly drawn contending camps within the PDP farther than they have ever been. As National Chairman, the burden of responsibility continues to rest on Ayu to heal rather than divide. One really begins to wonder if the National Chairman wants this party to win or lose the 2023 general elections.
The decision to kick start the campaigns without resolving the internal issues that still persist within our party was a misadvised decision and one that was destined to have just one outcome for the party. Doom.
How do you start a campaign without five of your most nationally visible Governor’s, out of thirteen?.
There is no doubt that Governor’s Nyesom Wike and Samuel Ortom have in the last few years, been the strongest opposition voices across the country. To imagine that the PDP would even contemplate launching a National campaign without these two communicates to the country our lack of preparedness to achieve anything from our adventure.
Dr Ayu is quoted to have said at the even that “the train of the PDP has left the station already and it is left for those who want to jump on it to do so. However, we will go slowly to allow those who are yet to make up their minds to be able to catch up when they do”. Are these remarks supposed to invite these Governor’s to the table or mock them to their closets?.
I dare to say that Dr Iyorchia Ayu is the single most divisive item on the list of PDP’s problems right now and if indeed our candidate is desirous of leading this party to victory, he would need to make the call before it is too late. He would at this point choose to make a decision between Ayu and our five Governor’s and to me the choice should be very obvious.
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By the time table released last week, the Uyo campaign launch on the 10th of October is supposed to have been followed with campaigns in Kebbi on the 12th, Zamfara on the 13th and a mega rally in Kaduna on the 17th of October. From today’s newspaper reports as we have monitored, the campaigns have been suspended until further notice and we understand, the intention is to again re-engage with our Governor’s.
Yes the train may have left the station as arrogantly declared by Dr Ayu but the question would be, how many miles has it yet travelled?. The train has stopped with no known schedule of its next departure time and who do we have to blame for this?. Your guess is as good as mine.
Engr. Conrad Terhide Utaan, MNSE, MNIEEE
