By Akinwale Kasali
With the aim of revitalizing and reforming the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Segun Sowunmi, former Governorship Candidate of the Party in Ogun State has declared interest in running for the National Chairmanship Seat of the Party.
Sowunmi said he is determined to make the Party achieve successes in forthcoming elections in the country, stressing that revitalizing the party will advance a more effective and durable political environment.
He made his intention known in Abeokuta, Ogun State Capital during a monthly program organized by the Consolidated Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ogun State Chapter.
He expressed concern over the party’s recent electoral losses in the state for three consecutive times, stated that there is a need for the party to restructure and revisit its core values and ideology in order to restore its previous glory.
He said, “If you really want to govern well, your eyes must be on all the processes that leads to government. I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt, that the platform called PDP is overdue for reformation and recalibration, not just for Ogun State, but for the country.
“I have offered myself to them to show them how to reform the party and I am telling them that I want to chair the party to reform it. I believe that at one point in time, they are going to have to make up their mind whether they want to continue to wobble, just paste posters, sell ticket and be deceiving themselves that they can win an election in such a manner or they are going to desire that reformation which we can implement?
Explaining that members of the party lack discipline to follow their own principles, Sowunmi emphasised that they should develop leaders who are unselfish, patriotic, and prepared to lead the people in the right path.
“I discover that we have made the political space extremely full of litigations. The amount of cases we produce as a result of our primaries congress, this is a bit on the high side. So much that we have overburdened the courts. And it is because political parties do not have the discipline to obey their own rules.
“You write a rule for yourself. Nobody forced you to write that rule. Why should you be compelled and forced to obey it? So, I believe we have created political parties in the image of the person that is either governor or president. That’s not sustainable”.
The PDP have been in crisis for several months with some gladiators in the Party calling for the resignation of the Acting National Chairman of the Party, Umar Illiya Damagum, who they alleged is been controlled by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, who worked against the success of the Party at the 2023 Presidential Election.
Among those who called for the resignation of Damagum is Elderstatesman, Edwin Clark, who said it was better for him to resign for the growth and development of the Party.
