By Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
The former Minister of Information and leader of the Concerned PDP Stakeholders, Prof. Jerry Gana, has explained the reasons behind his perceived opposition to the embattled Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ali Modu Sheliff.
He said that he was only protesting “some fundamental flaws in the party.”
The PDP shieftain spoke at the Presidential Lodge, Government House, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, after accompanying Governor David Umahi on projects’ commissioning and supervision as part of activities marking Governor Umahi’s one year in office.
Gana however expressed optimism that the perceived crisis in the party would soon be over as major stakeholders in the party have accepted to make sacrifices for the over all interest of the party.
He said, “I am very confident that the crisis will soon be over. Let me also acknowledge the efforts of your own governor in resolving the crisis. It is the part of the reasons that I am here. Of course you know I am one of those leading the Abuja Group. We did not lead that group to divide the party. That is not the point. We did not join this party; we formed it. So we can’t destroy it. The main thing is that we are protesting some fundamentals which were going wrong.”
He noted that the major opposition party was built upon strong democratic principle of the peoples will, saying as a founding member of the party it would be wrong for him and other well-meaning members of the party to fold hands and watch the party destroyed.
According to him, “As founding fathers ‘we can’t sit and watch things go wrong. The PDP was built on a very powerful principle of Power To The People which is the essence of democracy. Let the people choose their leaders, and when they choose you respect their will. You don’t, impose; there should not be impunity; you don’t manipulate. Nothing like anything to do with the kind of problem we had in 2015.
“That is the point and the point has been very well taken. The problems have been identified and the National Assembly Caucasus of our party, the Governors’ Foum, the Board of Trusts and the concerned stakeholders which I am part of the leadership; we all have met and agreed that the resolutions reached in Port Harcourt must be implemented. We have agreed that Ali Modu Sheliff should go and in the next 90 days we shall have a true National convention which will produce a truly elected leadership of the party.”
He praised the Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, for his developmental strides within one year in office.
