Senate President David Mark on Wednesday raised the alarm that the Peoples Democratic Party might be heading for a final destruction if the infighting among its leaders was not immediately resolved.
Mark, while receiving the Senator Ike Ekweremadu PDP Post – Election Review Committee, in Abuja, said the acrimony between top members of the party was dangerous.
He said, “The PDP is already haemorrhaging, unless we halt the bleeding and find the necessary therapy, we may be heading for the final burial of the party.
“The party is already in a comatose status and we should do all we can to resuscitate the party rather than this unnecessary rancour and buck passing.
“The emerging factions are absolutely unnecessary. The combatants must sheathe their swords and embrace dialogue.
“My appeal is that we should not do anything further that would damage the already fragmented house.
“Everybody should come together and rebuild the party. We have got enough bruises. We need not inflict further pains on ourselves with continuous bickering. Enough of this blame-game.”
Mark urged all the PDP members to return to the drawing board instead of washing their dirty linen in the public.
He said, “I believe a useful lesson has been learnt from the PDP electoral misfortune. As for me, it is time for us to put on our thinking caps and chart a new course.”
The outgoing Senate President expressed confidence that Ekweremadu and his team would do a good job and address the remote and immediate causes of “our misfortune and make recommendations that will enhance the future of our party.”
“I have worked closely with the Deputy President of the Senate over the years and I know his capability and capacity to handle issues,” he added.
Mark called on all stakeholders to rise above the present circumstances and work hard to rejuvenate the PDP.
He said that the new status of the party as an opposition party was “a challenge that all our members must face with all honesty, sincerity of purpose and dedication to duty”.
Mark said democracy and Nigeria would be much better if the party played credible opposition role .
PDP regrets post-election quarrel
As Mark stressed the need to rebuild the PDP, the National Working Committee said it regretted the embarrassment the “avoidable” bickering by leaders of the party had caused the members.
“The leadership of the PDP regrets any embarrassment the avoidable skirmishes may have caused the members of our great party, especially our founding fathers and teeming supporters across the country,” the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh,said in a statement in Abuja.
Stating that the party had overcome the trauma of defeat by the All Progressives Congress in the general elections, he added, “We are aware that this unfortunate development is a consequence of post- election trauma arising from our first ever defeat. We however note with relief that we have now overcome this challenge.”
Metuh also commended President Goodluck Jonathan for his quick move to end the bickering among the leaders of the party.
Promising that the National Working Committee of the PDP would abide by Jonathan’s counsel, he disclosed that it had already instructed all the executives of the party at all levels to comply accordingly.
According to him, the NWC has begun the reengineering of the party with the inauguration of the Post- Election Review Committee.
He added, “We urge all our members to ensure that they henceforth guard their utterances and actions no matter the provocation and distortions in some section of the media while channelling their energies and ideas towards the rebuilding process.
“In this regard, all members who have reports, grievances and suggestions on the way forward should transmit same to the Post-Election Review Committee for an all inclusive road map in the overall effort to regain power in 2019.
“Our members should be wary of the activities of some mischievous persons within and outside the PDP family, who are bent on frustrating this peace effort. Such individuals and groups have found the social media a veritable tool for their mischief through distortion of facts, false allegations and fabrications against our party.”
The PDP directed all its organs to focus only on party administration in a manner that would rekindle zeal and commitment among its members and supporters at all levels.
