.Laments hunger, anger in the land
The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has assured that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would bounce back to power in 2019.
This was even as he lamented the hunger and anger in the land, preaching that the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), “must quickly put out the fire because a hungry man is an angry man.”
Ekweremadu spoke in Abuja on Wednesday when the PDP Reconciliation Committee headed by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, met with him and the National Assembly Caucus of the party at the federal parliament.
Citing the Republican Party of the United States of America, which won the presidential election despite its internal crisis during the election, Ekweremadu said that PDP would surely bounce back.
He said: “We have crisis. Yes, but just like every organisation and every political party once in a while.
“The Republican Party in the United States of America had their crisis even in the midst of election, yet they won the election. There was a time during the crisis that some party leaders disowned their presidential candidate. They refused to campaign for him. But in spite of that, Americans voted for the Republican Party. Today, they have the presidency and the majority in the Senate and the House.
“So, whatever happens, I believe, surely, PDP will be back in 2019”.
He, however, reminded PDP faithful that both the party and the nation were on fire, hence opposition party had no time to dissipate on internal wrangling.
He added: “Today, the country is in crisis. So, our (PDP) house is also burning. We can’t be chasing rats while our house is burning. The PDP house that is burning needs to be rescued. And everybody needs to put in efforts to ensure that it happens.
“But, I think the greater tragedy is that the Nigerian community is also burning. There is hunger in the land. There is also anger in the land because a hungry man is an angry man.
“There is also tension all over the country. People are being killed, from Ile-Ife to Benue, to Zamfara, all the way to Borno and Kano.
“So, we cannot be struggling over leadership when our people are dying of hunger and starvation, and while there is tension all over the place. Nigerians expect all of us, not just the PDP people, but the entire leaders of this country to work together for the peace and progress of Nigeria.
“So, the time to come together is now and I’m happy that everybody is thinking about it”.
He commended the Committee and party leaders for their efforts at holding the PDP together and called on them to support every move that would restore peace to the party. He commended members of the Committee for not abdicating its responsibility.
The Senator, however, urged them to reach out to and secure the buy-in by as many party faithful as possible into the peace process.
“We thank you because you have shown leadership. You have not abdicated your responsibility because people are criticising you.
“Some people may disagree with your views, but it is dialogue that will make all of us to have a common position.
“We will look at the options and I think the most important thing is that whatever is the option, you have to try and get the buy-in of as many people as possible”, Ekweremadu stressed.
Presenting the Committee’s report to the Deputy president of the Senate, Governor Dickson stressed the need for PDP to come together to rescue Nigerians from extreme hardship.
Also, the Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and his House of Representatives counterpart, Hon. Leo Ogor, maintained that suffering and confusion in the land had clearly shown that the PDP remained the best option for the country.
