One of the founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Jim Nwobodo, has called on the party’s leadership and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to set aside their differences and spearhead the rebuilding of the once-dominant political organization.
Addressing an emergency party meeting in Abuja on Friday, the elder statesman described the PDP as “the mother party” of Nigerian democracy and urged its current custodians to act decisively to prevent the labors of its founders from being in vain.
“The PDP is a family, and a party where every member has a sense of belonging,” Nwobodo stated. “My appeal, therefore, to all of you, and in particular the leadership of our party, is to ensure that the PDP remains the beacon of democracy in Nigeria.”
Drawing a historical parallel, he likened the PDP’s potential role to that of the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa and issued a direct plea for reconciliation, emphasizing that most politicians in rival parties were once PDP members.
A Call for a “Strong Reconciliation Committee”
Nwobodo revealed that he has been approached by numerous former members eager to return to the party fold. He urged the acting national chairman, the national secretary, and the Board of Trustees (BoT) to be magnanimous and proactively welcome them back.
“Reach out to aggrieved members who are willing to abide by the party’s constitution and ideology to come back to the family, where they belong,” he said. “I once again appeal to you to constitute a strong reconciliation committee to reach out to members.”
Direct Appeal to Wike to Lend His “Energy”
In a notable segment of his address, Nwobodo turned his attention directly to Minister Wike, who has been at the center of a protracted feud within the party. He praised the Minister’s transformative impact on the nation’s capital, which he witnessed upon a recent visit.
“I entered Abuja after two years of being in Enugu and I could not recognise Abuja. Abuja had changed,” Nwobodo remarked. “If you put that same effort into this party, PDP will be the party to beat.”
His comments underscore the high-stakes political calculus within the PDP, as it seeks to harness the influence of powerful but aggrieved figures like Wike.
Striking a note of sober realism, the founding father acknowledged that the path to revival would be challenging. “It will not be easy, but no good thing comes easy. Don’t be deterred and don’t be discouraged,” he advised the leadership.
He concluded with a call to preserve the party’s legacy, urging current leaders to ensure “that the labours of the founding fathers, most of whom are no longer with us, will not be in vain.”
