- We’ll resolve knotty issues – Party spokesman
Efforts by the Peoples Democratic Party to rally lesser political parties, groups and its former members for the purpose of the 2019 general elections may be heading for the rocks, as many of them have given the main opposition party tough conditions it is finding difficult to meet.
Our correspondent gathered that the political parties, groups and individuals the PDP had already reached out to for the formation of an alliance ahead of the 2019 polls, demanded that they would only join the main opposition party if it agreed to change its name and constitution.
The demands by the parties and groups, it was further learnt, have polarised the PDP as some of its leaders have vowed to resist the granting of such requests, while others were said to have seen nothing wrong in changing the name and constitution of the party to achieve the ultimate aim of regaining power in 2019.
Upon assumption of duty, the new Executive of the PDP, led by its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, had promised to reach out to its members who had left the party for one reason or the other, as well as other political parties, for the formation of a coalition to take back power from the APC in 2019.
Towards this end, a committee was set up under the leadership of a former governor of Cross River State, Mr. Liyel Imoke, to reach out to its former members in other parties, groups, individuals as well as political parties willing to work with the PDP.
But a source close to the committee told our correspondent, on condition of anonymity, that most of the parties and groups contacted demanded a new name and constitution as pre-conditions for their joining the PDP coalition.
“You know those that have been reached out to, especially the political parties, are saying they want an amalgamation that will result in a new name and a new constitution like it happened in the formation of the APC, where the CPC, ACN, ANPP and others, all came together with a new name,” the source said.
He said the old members in the other parties, especially in the APC and other political parties, also felt that such an arrangement would allow them to be part of a new beginning rather than just returning to the PDP as outsiders.
It was gathered that while many members of the committee see nothing wrong in the conditions stipulated by the other parties, groups and returning members, there are fears amongst the current party excos of the possibility of losing their positions under such an arrangement, since they are less than six months in office.
But Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, it was also learnt, had already declared that the party would not change its name because he would not want the exco that he spent a lot to install, to be discarded so early.
“This issue of changing of name is already causing crisis within the party and we pray it doesn’t further polarise the party”, the source said.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, confirmed the demand by the other political parties, groups and individuals interested in the coalition for a name-change by the party.
Ologbondiyan assured that “When we reach the river, we will know how to cross it,” but denied speculations that the demand for a change of name is because the PDP has become a bad brand.
He stressed that the demand for a name-change was only coming from the other political parties interested in joining the PDP coalition arrangement.
