Truly, I would have loved to hobnob and confab with you all as you prepare for the party convention but I do not have the wherewithal to do that hence my resolve to use the mass media interface. The past seven years have been extremely hard for the party as it is hit by a gale of defection and internal wrangling extraneously sponsored. Our country, Nigeria, is in a deplorable state as the All Progressives Congress (APC) regime is running and ruining the affairs of the country with reckless abandon.
I am writing this to you because in a few days you will converge on Eagle Square for the party convention and primaries. And as you go for this important assignment, I want you to know that you are in for a historic exercise that will determine the future of our party and our country. In making your decisions, you must take into consideration the state of our great party and the state of the nation. And, I must remind you that the decision you take in this confab can make or mar this nation.
I recognise the fact that you are leaders in your own right, representing your people, wards, communities, constituencies and zones with disparate interests. In carrying this onerous assignment I earnestly entreat you to eschew personal interest and think of the future of our people. You must ignore the now factor and be futuristic. You must know that your political future is at stake, the future of our great party is at stake, the future of our children is at stake and most importantly, the future of Nigeria as a nation is at stake.
As you go into the primaries think of your country – the state of insecurity, mismanaged economy, the threat to our corporate existence, rising spate of crime and social vices, among others. And then think of the consequences of the continuance of APC regime beyond 2023. Therefore, it is expected that we should be able to identify the common threat to the existence of this country and establish our common interest and pursue it. Our common interest here should be to rescue our country from the brink and this can only be achieved by voting out APC and regaining the power that we lost seven years ago.
I am aware that APC regime has firmly institutionalised corruption in the polity, bastardised our political sphere through vote buying and other forms of monetary inducements. Yes, as you converge on the Eagle Square for the primaries, this might be time to get rich again from the largesse that may be doled out by our political aspirants. But while you collect your “democracy dividend” know ye that what is at stake is the future of democracy and Nigeria.
There may be no more PDP if it fails to win the 2023 presidential election. The party may implode as the fortune seekers and pettifoggers will defect to other parties. Thus, you should beware of infiltrators and political jobbers this time. It is time to bury your differences; seek rapprochement and rekindle the esprit de corps spirit in order to achieve our common goal of regaining power.
You will agree with me that this is the moment of truth for us as a party. Any mistake made this time may not be rectified. You must elect someone who is capable and credible to fly the party’s flag in the forth-coming presidential election. You must choose someone who has the clout and the wherewithal to wrestle this power from APC. The best way to win the election and regain power is presenting a powerful candidate with the desired leadership qualities. We need a candidate that is generally acceptable and sellable. When we have a good candidate, our problem is half solved for it will make the job of electioneering campaign easier. I must let you know that if you don’t have a credible and generally acceptable candidate, going into the election will be an exercise in futility.
Clearly, among the gladiators that filed out for the contest, they are all credible and capable. But we need much more than that. We need one who is tested and trusted; one with the charisma and clout to wrestle this power from the forces that cling on to it. We need a seasoned politician with grit and wit. We need a patriot and a statesman with courage. We need one who is a detribalised Nigerian that is generally accepted across the nation. And that is no other personality than Alhaji Dr Atiku Ababakar, the Wazirin of Adamawa, and our former vice-president. He has been in the political arena more than any other person in the PDP fold. He is a founding member and the pillar of our great party. He has paid his dues by financing and mentoring most of us party members.
He has made immeasurable contributions and personal sacrifices for the installation and sustenance of democracy in our land. There is no gainsaying the fact that our great party nay the nation needs him now more than ever before to restore our country on the path of peace and progress. And on that note, I enjoin you all to give our amiable Wazirin the opportunity to fly the party’s flag in the 2023 presidential election. He has done it before; he will do it again.
Hajia Hadiza Mohammed,
London, UK
