2019: Elumelu Cautions PDP Against Imposition …..Predicts Collapse of APC by Match 2018

By Emmanuel Enebeli

ONICHA-UKU/Nigeria: The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) have been caution against imposition of any candidate in any future election to avoid further disunity in the party.

Making this caution is a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Ndudi Elumelu who represented the Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency of Delta State, in retrospect to the 2015 General Election, attributed the failure of the party to arrogance.

Elumelu during a media chat with members of Delta State Online Publishers Forum, (DOPF) at his country home in Onicha Uku, said the problem of PDP started when the party decided to undermine some of its aggrieved members.

The former lawmaker while speaking on the chances of PDP in 2019 election, noted that the party chances are very bright, but depends on what they do as a party, warning that if the PDP must win, it must shun imposition of candidate.

According to him, “PDP failed in 2015 because some members who are bitter worked against the party, it was not that APC did anything differently. PDP failed PDP, though APC is claiming the glory, but that is not true”.

“We failed ourselves, our problem started with arrogance, it started with who are you; we don’t need you, good riddance to a bad rubbish”.

He added that the former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, now Minister of Transportation ought not had been treated the way he was treated.

“Amaechi ought not to have been treated the way he was treated, undermining Amaechi was a gracious error on the part of PDP leadership; because Amaechi demystified Jonathan.

“So, it now depend on the PDP to do things right. The chances are there for PDP to take over and I am happy we have started very well by conducting a credible convention, whether you like it or not, today, Secondus is the National Chairman of the PDP.

“Yes, people complained about unity list, there is no where you are having that type of elections without a unity list, if it is not written, you can have it in your mind. If you want to run for House of Rep and Senate, there must be a unity list for every local government; so, the unity list is not an issue.

“In democracy, we all must not agree, the minority will have their say, but the majority will have their way. So, there is unity list everywhere, but the only thing different is the way it happened which I faulted also.

“The other issue is that if PDP must take over in 2019, there should be no imposition. No leader at the local government, state and at the federal level should attempt to impose candidate on the party. Because once you start imposition even if it’s for House of Assembly, it will rob us of party unity which is needed to win election.

He stated further that those who made APC what it was in pre-2015 election are currently not happy with President Mohammadu Buhari poor performance in the past two years in office.

“But unfortunately all of them, including Bola Tinubu and Bukola Saraki are fed up with Buhari and they are regretting supporting the man in 2015.

‘So, what is left of in the APC is just an empty chaff and by the end of March, unless something changes which I doubt, nothing will be left in the APC, and Buhari will even find it difficult to run its government because most of his cabinet members would have deserted him.”