Gov. Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom has urged the new PDP National Chairman, Adamu Mu `azu, to ensure the return of defected PDP governors to the party.
Akpabio, who is the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, made the call at the party`s 64th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja.
He spoke on behalf of PDP Governors at the meeting where Mu`azu emerged following the resignation of Bamanga Tukur, the party`s former national chairman on Jan. 16.
“We do not want to lose more PDP governors; instead we want to gain more. The first task that the national chairman will be faced with is to try to bring back estranged members of our forum,’’ Akpabio said.
He added that the forum was ready to cooperation with the new party national chairman to ensure his success in this direction.
Akpabio expressed hope that President Goodluck Jonathan would be re-elected in 2015, this he said, would end current campaign of calumny against some PDP governors.
He decried such campaigns, adding that some PDP governors were being blackmailed on a daily basis.
“The campaign of calumny against governors is too much and I think it is important for the people to note that we are prepared to support the leader of our party and the party to ensure victory in 2015.’’
He urged the new party chairman to recognise PDP governors as leaders of the party at the state levels and the president as the party`s leaders at the national level.
Meanwhile, Akpabio has advised party leaders to work with the new national chairman to ensure the success of the party and Nigeria in general.
“Let us try and avoid the banana pill that had affected past party chairmen and that banana pill had been the conflict between national chairman and the state-led by the governor,’’ he said.
This, he said, started the crisis between the home state governor in Adamawa and the party`s past national chairman.
He maintained that some “political jobbers’’ took advantage of the situation and tried to run the party down.
Akpabio expressed optimism that the situation would be different this time because the new party national chairman was nominated by the state governor.
He stressed that this was extremely uncommon, adding that it was a sign that things were changing in the party and that the future of the party and the country was brighter.
Tony Anenih, Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), thanked Jonathan for his patience, zeal and wisdom in guiding the party, stressing that there was hope for the party if the new chairman worked together with the Bauchi State governor who nominated him for the position.
He pledged the support of the BoT members to the new chairman to enable him succeed and to ensure the success of Federal Government transformation agenda.