NAN-H-55
PDP
By Oloniruha Emmanuel and Abiemwense Moru
Abuja, Oct. 14, 2016 (NAN) A House Representatives member, Rep. Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, has urged Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders and members to close rank for unity ahead of Nov. 26 governorship election in Ondo state.
He said that reconciliation and unity in the party was imperative now because division within the party was the cause of its failure in the Sept. 28 governorship election in Edo.
Agbonayinma, who represents Egor/ Ikpoba-Okha Constituency of Edo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja that PDP would have won the Edo poll if it was united.
“We went to the election with two candidates, one for Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff and the other for Sen. Ahmed Makarfi.
“We all went to the election divided and some of us saw ourselves as enemies.
“We forgot that we are brothers and we can only win when we are together. We cannot win when there is division.
“We failed to realise that united we stand, divided we fall.
“It was obvious that the disunity among us led to the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) victory in Edo. So, we shouldn’t blame anybody; we should blame ourselves,’’ he said.
The lawmaker, therefore, said that PDP must go to the Ondo poll as one party if it must be victorious in the election.
He commended the courage of Sheriff and Makarfi on their reconciliation move, and called on all members, including elders and leaders, of the party to join the peace process.
He pointed out that if the peace path being taken by the party now was adopted before the election in Edo, “PDP would have won that election’’.
Agbonayinma described Makarfi and Sheriff as eminent leaders who had contributed to the development of PDP and Nigeria, and urged them to ensure that the crisis was resolved before the election in Ondo state.
“I am optimistic that the crisis would be resolve before Ondo poll and that is what we are working towards. It will be the best thing that will happen to our party.
“That is what I think every meaningful member of PDP will wish; we should all wish and work that before election in Ondo, we will be united and what happened to us in Edo will not repeat itself.
“There is no party that does not have crisis, even APC has its own crisis which is even worse than that of PDP, but today I think we are forging ahead.’’
On decision of the party on outcome of the Edo poll, Agbonayinma said that he supported Sheriff’s stance that facts and figures of what happened in the election should first be studied.
He, however, disclosed that as an indigene of Edo, he was on ground and observed the election, adding that he was happy with voters’ turnout and could say that the poll was peaceful in his constituency.
“The election was free, fair and just. Election cannot be 100 per cent perfect, even in America or elsewhere in the world.
“ I stand to say that election in Edo, I think we must give kudos to INEC for the way they conducted themselves and the exercise.
“Instead of inconclusive election, we had a conclusive one,’’ he said. (NAN)
OBE/AMM/OPI/OPI
Edited by Olisa Ifeajika