From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, Aminu Tambuwal, has said that the party cannot win the 2023 general elections with a divided house.

Tambuwal, who stated this, yesterday, at the 92nd meeting of the PDP National Working Committee held at the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, stressed the need for the opposition party to work together in the run-up to the next general elections.

He said that Nigerians are looking on to the PDP to rescue the country and the op- position party cannot afford to fail them.

His words: “We have activated all mechanisms that we have in PDP to resolve all of our issues. And as chairman of PDP said, I concur.

“We shall continue to hold together, remain together because we are the hope of the people of Nigeria and Nigerians are looking forward to PDP and we cannot afford to fail them.

“The challenges are quite many and it’s important for us to continue to work together as a family. We are going into warfare and we must go to a warfare united, you cannot win if you are divided. So, let’s not lose hope. We must remain focus with our eyes on the ball.

And we shall, by the grace of God, score that goal.”

Earlier, the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Yemi Akinwonmi, speaking at the opening session of the NEC meeting, said that efforts to resolve the crisis in the opposition party are yielding fruits.

The PDP has recently been embroiled in crisis as its leaders battle for supremacy ahead of the party’s national convention to elect a new leadership.

The crisis assumed a new twist last Monday after a Rivers State High Court, in Degema, restrained its National Chairman, Uche Secondus, from functioning as the lead- er of the opposition party.

However, on Thursday, a Kebbi State High Court, in Birnin Kebbi, issued an order asking Secondus to resume his functions as national chairman. In another twist, a Federal High Court in Calabar, Cross River State, on Friday, restrained the PDP chairman from presiding over yesterday’s NEC meeting.

However, Akinwonmi, who explained that the NEC meeting was convened to take critical decision relating to the convention, urged party leaders not to allow anyone divide their ranks.

Similarly, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, commended those involved in the various efforts to resolve the crisis rocking the PDP.

Atiku noted that “if you look at PDP, it has the most experienced people in this country, whether in the executive wing, whether in the legislature, whether in party administration, we have the most experience and most competent individuals in this party.

“Therefore, PDP in internal crisis management is far more efficient and far more better than APC and the APC government itself… and Nigerians should no longer be in doubt, of our sense of patriotism, and our sense of commitment to get this country moving again. “

Meanwhile, the PDP has said its national convention scheduled for October 30-31, will hold in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, disclosed this, yesterday, while briefing journalists on the outcome of the 92nd meeting National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.

Ologbondiyan said that the NEC will meet again on September 9 to approve nominations into the convention planning committee, as well as the committee on zoning.