PDP ‘ll assist its candidates to victory, says Ali
PDP national chairman, Chief Ahmadu Ali, said yesterday in Abuja that the party would assist all its candidates to victory in the upcoming general elections.
“We want to assist you to prepare and enhance your capacity for the arduous campaigns ahead of all of us,” Ali said at the opening of a three-day retreat for the party’s candidates for the state and national elections.
He explained that the forum was intended to sensitise the PDP flag bearers in the presidential, governorship, national and state assembly polls on the party’s “new manifesto, which is our commitment to the electorate.”
He said that apart from being the largest party in the country, PDP was the most innovative and focused political party.
“Our goal is to make it one of the most modern democratic parties in the world, reform minded, rule driven, result oriented and an agenda setting organisation,” he said.
Ali, who urged the participants to confront the elections with brilliance, said that the retreat was the first of its type to be organized by any political party in the country.
“This retreat is in keeping with our tradition of excellence, good governance and cherished political values. The retreat is also a cardinal aspect of the PDP reform programmes embarked upon a year ago,” he said.
On the internal squabbles within the party in the aftermath of its primaries and national convention, he said, “A party as large as the PDP cannot function without some rancour.”
“However, as members of the same family, we must be guided by our common goals and channel all our energies toward achieving total victory for the party,” he said, urging members to develop cordial relationship with one another.
Prof. Akin Mabogunje and FCT Minister, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, spoke on the interpretation of development for politicians, and “You and the New PDP Manifesto,” respectively on the occasion.