Dokpesi accuses PDP BOT of angling to hijack party

***Reaffirms PDP’s resolve to recover power  power from APC

Ahead of the December 9 National Convention, media mogul and chairmanship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, has accused some members of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) of trying to hijack the party.

He said some members of the BoT who accompany some chairmanship aspirants on campaigns were telling delegates and other party stakeholders that the BoT is backing  their ambition.

Dokpesi, who stated this Tuesday while returning his nomination form at the party’s national secretariat, also faulted the recent endorsement and sidelining of aspirants by the South west BoT of PDP.

Reaffirming that the PDP is in a haste to take over power from All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019, the media owner however underscored that the party needs a strong chairman to lead it into the presidential election.

Dokpesi, said “Members of BoT want to take over the party. Some people want to use BoT to take over the day to day running of the party.

“Members of BoT have been going out with some aspirants. They have been meeting delegates and stakeholders of the
party.

“Some of them (BoT members) smart as they are, are peddling rumours that the BoT has endorsed some aspirants as their choice of national chairman. But we know that the BoT has not met.

“He however quipped “If you want to be chairman whydon’t they resign their membership of BoT before you say
you want to run.

“While he added that there is nothing wrong with the move of the South-west PDP members, he however queried why the aspirants were not invited or consulted before the list was drafted.

He added “For one or two persons, alot of damage has been done to the persons those said to have been excluded
from the list.”

He however added that with a lotof hard work things will be recovered.

Dokpesi, who also stated that the issue of a consensus candidate may still arise, stated that the aspirants will, in a couple of days, sign terms of settlement on the accord which has been drafted.

He stated that all contests have agreed to give unconditional support to whoever emerges the national chairman of the party, “as long as the rules of the game are abided to, and the convention is transparent and open.”

Dokpesi, however congratulated the caretaker committee for their leadership role saying they have been faced with lots of  pressure to alter the provisions of the party’s constitution.

He said there has been alot of pressure, intimidation, threat and manipulation to force the Makarfi committee to go against the provisions of the party’s constitution and the zoning.

He maintained that the issue of micro zoning, he reiterated that “The presidency was zoned to the 19 states in North and the chairmanship to the 17 states in the South.”

On the preparation of PDP for 2019, “We are in a haste to take over from the APC. It won’t be an easy take backpower from the current government.

“APC will not hand over power on a platter of gold. We need a fighter a string party man. That is why we need a strong man to serve as chairman of the party.”

On his plans for the party if he emerged chairman of PDP he said “I will unify PDP ensure all broken bridges are rebuilt, recruit more youths and women and prepare PDP to take over in 2019.”

Speaking earlier, the national Organising secretary of thePDP, Sen. Abdul Ningi, said commended the chairmanship
aspirants for helping to revive the interest of the party in Nigeria.

“You have told the international community that there is a strong opposition party that will give the ruling party a run for its money any day, any time.

“He however assured that “nobody will intimidate us into taking any position, we will ensure free and fair conventionin the party.”

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