An aspirant jostling for the office of the National Publicity Secretary of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Farouk Audu Adejoh has stated his resolve to overhaul the image of the party which he said has been smeared with falsehood and half truth by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Adejoh stated this Wednesday at the PDP National Headquarters shortly after he picked his nomination form.
The aspirant who was the immediate past local government chairman of Olamaboro LGA in Kogi state said that previous National Publicity Secretaries allowed the then opposition to inflict so much damage on the party.
He said that APC heaped their incompetence and lack of administrative acumen on PDP while the party’s spokespersons could not proffer a superior argument to counter their claims, adding that he is very determined to change the narratives.
He said that his decision to vie for the position was fundamentally tied to his love for the party, stressing that he want to contribute to the party’s greatness.
“For 16 years, I have been involved in image making of the party. i have worked as a media consultant, media adviser and Special Adviser to former Speaker Hon. Umar Ghali Na’Abba.
“During the Yar’Adua government, I was a media consultant to the villa.
“Today our party has been hounded by the ruling party, and APC always blame PDP for all conceivable and inconceivable evil. This trend has become entrenched in the APC national life and we need to change the narrative”.
The journalist turned politician emphasised that the party’s poor image management led to the loss the party suffered in 2015.
“We lost the last election due to poor image management, the public perception did us more harm. Opposition used half truths and false hood and our image managers were complacent.
“This trend was ignored by past image makers that it became the way we were perceived.”
He explained that the 16 years of PDP administration created a stable and robust economic system and most importantly, established a lasting democratic culture.
According to him, the time is ripe for PDP to tell its own story.
“This is time to tell our own story in the PDP, we shall define the narratives.
“With my election, this hostility created over the years by the ruling party will be changed completely.
“We have decided to change the narratives, harness all mass communication platforms available, use our human resource and create a structure that will determine the party’s image and sell it to the public.”
The aspirant further added that he cannot be sandwiched to stepping down for another candidate, adding that democracy must be allowed to thrive full swing.
“Democracy means allowing everybody to come and test their power. The National Publicity is zoned to Kogi state that does not mean that others cannot come and contest. Let the best come out but the idea of muscling people out of the race I unacceptable. No body has invited me to step down
“I believe in consensus but if it runs against democratic ethos, I will not support it. We must purge ourselves the sentiments of imposition of candidates” Adejoh stated.
