Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The National Chairman-designate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, has said the journey ahead of his reign as the national chairman of party would be rough and that there was a limit to what he could do as the leader of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Speaking at the valedictory session of the outgoing NWC, Ayu said, “The journey ahead is going to be turbulent and rough. Many people have attributed to me all sorts of capabilities.
“I’m sorry, I am not Jesus Christ, neither am I Prophet Mohammed, I am only a team leader,who believes firmly that to run a big political party of this nature, you must work with everybody.
“We must most work as a team; there will be no divisions. We will not allow any divisions. And that will extend to all other members of the party. We intend to run an inclusive administration.
“And that will include all members of the current working committee that is about to handover. It will extend to broaden the frontiers of administration to include every party leader in every state. And I believe together we will succeed. And if we succeed, I have succeeded. I thank you for the work you have done for organising this particular valedictory session,” he said.
Ayu said the the valedictory session should have been an expanded National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and that everybody should have been there to listen to the statements made.
“But I think we have learned from you, because in the next couple of years, we too will be organising another valedictory Session. I will try to ensure that everybody’s on board,” he stated
He said the founding fathers that formed the PDP had an extremely challenging circumstances, but added: “We had a vision that this party will be so big and so powerful, that it will be impossible for anybody or any circumstance to destroy it midstream.
“I think that vision has been justified by the role you have played, because the party is bigger and stronger. We know it’s very difficult to run a party as an opposition. But I think you have discharged your responsibilities to the best of your abilities.”
