Joseph Bakare
Former President of the Senate David Mark has announced formal handling over of the structures of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the state governor Samuel Ortom.
The hand over was performed at the party’s stakeholders meeting in Makurdi.
Mark further said that the stakeholders meeting was the first of the harmonised PDP since Ortom came back to the party.
He said that with the calibre of the people that had come back to PDP’s fold, it could win any election in the country.
He said that both the old and new members of the party had equal rights in the party, stressing that it was on that basis that the party’s executive positions had to be reviewed so as to accommodate the people that just defected to it.
”As they joined us we need to give them some positions thereby giving them a sense of belonging.
”We have constituted an Integration Committee which will work 24/7 to ensure proper harmonisation right from the council ward upwards,” he said.
Also, Ortom promised that all the political leaders of the party in the state would continue to work together and it would be sustained.
The governor said that in politics there was neither permanent enemy nor friend but what was permanent was interest.
”Our coming together was for the interest of the state and that was what brought them together,” he said.
He commended the party’s leadership for agreeing to review the party’s structure in order to accommodate the people that defected with him to PDP.
He said that other governorship aspirants of the party should not be worried because even as a leader of the party now he could not compromise the rules and constitution of the party.
”There will be a level playing field for all the aspirants,” he said.
Former governor of the state, Mr Gabriel Suswam, informed the people that the officers whose offices were affected by the review would be given immediate appointment by the state government.
Suswam said that the decision was arrived at for the best interest of the state, stressing that the party was considering the future; and all affected should accept the decision in good faith.
Earlier, the state Chairman, Mr John Ngbede, warned local government chairmen against preventing people from joining the party at the local government level.
”You do not have the right to deny anybody membership card of the party,” he said.
He expressed optimism that Ortom would move the party to lofty heights now that he assumed leadership of the party.