Sunday Aborisade
Former state chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a group of youths within the party yesterday berated governors elected on the platform of the PDP for attacking the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria Dr. Godwin Emefiele.
The PDP governors had in a statement, accused the CBN Governor of allegedly spending billions of naira on his ambition to become president in 2023.
But the Forum of former northern state chairmen of PDP and a group under the aegis of PDP Democratic Youth Forum at an event in Abuja, warned the party’s governors to stop attacking a man who is not in the presidential race yet.
The groups asked the PDP governors to concentrate on the internal problems of the party in order to reposition the party.
They demanded that the governors of PDP focus on the internal challenges threatening to polarise the party instead of dissipating efforts on Emefiele who now seems to be their focus.
The northern state chairmen spoke through their coordinator, Alhaji Adamu Musa while the youths spoke through their leader, Umar Yusuf.
They specifically called on the governors and PDP National Executive Committee to concentrate effort on resolving the zoning issue which is currently threatening to tear the party apart.
They noted that a united PDP stands a good chance against any candidate of the All Progressives Congress.
Adamu said: “We cannot be spending all our energy on a man who has not even declared to run this election.
“ Is the CBN Governor the only candidate our governors are afraid of to join the race? Why all this frenzy about Emefiele? What if the man is not running at?
“Have our governors already given up for the man? Do they not know that the APC analysts can notice this palpable fear and now know that Emefiele could be their best candidate?
“APC have over eight candidates already in the race and we are not talking about them but distracting ourselves with a man who has not shown interest apart from the public call on him to run.”
Yusuf, on his part cautioned the governors of the Party to ensure the zoning debacle does not tear the party apart.
“The governors should also ensure that PDP is repositioned to appeal to Nigerians in 2023.”
Another youth leader from Abia State, Chibuike Afulike, said the PDP governors were chasing shadows when internal crisis was brewing in their Party.
He said, “The PDP governors who are attempting to form a cabal in the party will only end up polarising the party more than it is now.
“The governors needed to close ranks to give the party a direction. Leaving our party’s internal crisis to continue brewing while chasing shadows is the best recipe for PDP to lose the next election.
“Our governors must not be fixated and scared about Emefiele joining the race because even if he is the candidate we cannot compete if our party is this divided”
