PDP Leaders Set To Meet Obasanjo Ahead Of 2019

PDP Leaders Set To Meet Obasanjo Ahead Of 2019

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is to meet with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta on Saturday ahead of the 2019 polls.

The National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, made this known in Abeokuta while addressing journalists after a meeting between the executive members of the party in Ogun and the PDP NWC.

The chairman who described Mr Obasanjo as a “warrior” who had fought many battles, explained that the consultation had become necessary to get direction from the former president and tap from his wealth of experience.

Mr Obasanjo dumped the PDP in the build up to the 2015 general election. He publicly destroyed his membership card of the party and eventually worked for the victory of the then opposition presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Obasanjo, who served as Nigerian president between 1999 and 2007 under the PDP, eventually fell out with Mr Buhari, accusing him of incompetence. He is currently among those scheming against Mr Buhari and the ruling APC for the 2019 election.

On the recovered Abacha loot, despite explanations by the federal government on how it will be spent, Mr Secondus picked holes in its management, alleging it was being arbitrarily distributed instead of being budgeted for.

The disbursement of the money to poor and vulnerable Nigerians, according to the vice president, will begin this July.

Maryam Uwais, who heads the Social Investment Programme of the federal government explained recently that the federal government and the World Bank had signed an agreement to use the money to fund the SIP.

According to Ms Uwais, 18 states, which have been enrolled, will benefit from the programme. They are Niger, Kogi, Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Cross River, Bauchi, Jigawa, Gombe, Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Anambra.

The remaining 18 states have been excluded because the the state governments had not put in place the appropriate platform through which to implement the programme.

“This is the first time a government in Nigeria, not even under the military, that cash will be withdrawn from the bank and distributed to party cronies.

”The Abacha returned loot is being shared by the incumbent government, without putting it in the budget,” he alleged.

Mr Secondus gave assurance that the party would win the Saturday governorship election in Ekiti state.

The PDP chairman who alleged that there were plans by the All Progressives Congress(APC) to take Ekiti State by force, said ” no amount of intimidation can subvert the will of the people.”

(NAN)