Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ruled out the possibility of changing its name, ahead of the 2023 general election.
The spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said this was part of decisions reached at the party’s 88th National Executive Committee ( NEC) in Abuja, yesterday.
“The party insists that the PDP brand is still the best in the political firmament of our nation and as such, those canvassing for a change of name should forget it because we remain the Peoples Democratic Party.”
He said the PDP has constituted a committee to review the conduct of the 2019 general elections and ascertain what transpired during the polls.
He said this will guide the opposition party in pushing for electoral reforms in the run-up to the 2023 general elections.
Earlier, the National Chairman, Uche Secondus, in his speech before the NEC meeting went into an executive session, raised the alarm that the country was tilting towards a full blown dictatorship under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The PDP leader alleged that the ultimate objective of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government was to foist a one party state and dictatorship on the country.
He noted that the situation calls for serious worries, as no democracy could thrive in an atmosphere where the legislature and judiciary were muzzled.
The PDP chairman explained that the NEC meeting, which is the second within ten days, was to enable the opposition party brainstorm on current political situation in the country and come up with far reaching decisions.
“The landmines laid by the ruling All Progressives Congress against democracy in our beloved country are exploding and the consequences are confronting us.
“When President Muhammadu Buhari and his party began the process of muzzling the other arms of government, our party cried out and alerted the nation and indeed the international community of the brewing dictatorship.
“Here we are watching helplessly as the legislature and the judiciary are put right in the pocket of the executive, an anomaly in a democracy that makes nonsense of the separation of power that is beautifully enshrined in the rule book to check the excesses of each arm of the government.
“At the NEC meeting ten days ago, we briefed you about the judicial abracadabra where the apex court in the land, the Supreme Court, delivered a bizarre judgment on Imo State where it took our PDP’s governorship victory and handed it over to the APC candidate that came fourth.
“All of these should worry us because no democracy strives if the legislature and the judiciary are caged as we can see.
“We are witnesses to the emerging dictatorial tendencies in our dear country. As we all can see, a dictator is not just on the way but has arrived the scene already. They have rolled out the process of establishing a one party state so as to pave the way for a full blown dictatorship.
“To allow them have their way is to abdicate our responsibility as an opposition party who has made enormous sacrifice for democracy to blossom in our country.
“We have, therefore, called you today to deliberate critically on the state of democracy in our land to draw up far-reaching decisions that must help check the growing excesses of the ruling APC. Even the Presidency has abandoned governance amidst mounting problems and indulges in attacking us but we not deterred.”
He said the party, after extensive consultations with legal experts, has decided to fully back Emeka Ihedioha as he returns to the Supreme Court to seek a review and possible reversal of the January 14 judgement.
“We are highly optimistic that the Justices may bow to superior reason and reverse themselves by returning the mandate to the PDP.”