Newly-appointed national chairman of the
Peoples Democratic Party, Ali Modu Sheriff, on
Wednesday vowed to lead the party to regain
control of the federal government in 2019.
Mr. Sheriff said nothing would stop his party,
which lost power in 2015, from ousting the
current All Progressives Congress’
administration.
Mr. Sheriff is a founding member of the All
Progressives Congress. He defected to the PDP
in 2014 ahead of national elections in 2015.
He gave his remarks on Wednesday in
Umuahia, the Abia State capital, during a
thanksgiving service organised to mark the
victory of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu at the
Supreme Court.
The court had on February 3 affirmed Mr.
Okezie’s victory in the April 11, 2015
governorship election.
Mr. Sheriff, a former senator and governor of
Borno State, who was named PDP national
chairman on Tuesday night, said the PDP
would soon come out with its master plan on
how it would defeat the All Progressives
Congress from power.
“We are here today, we are starting from
here, and we are going to Aso Rock, Insha
Allah by 2019,” the PDP chairman said.
“We will head from here and we will do it
together. This my long cap is prepared to lead
my colleagues and brothers to Aso Rock, Insha
Allah.
“By the grace of Allah nothing will deter this
party from going to Aso Rock in 2019. By the
time we put down our master-plan I am sure
they (APC) will go back to where they came
from. And Insha Allah, nothing will stop us.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has not
indicated he would seek a fresh term at the
expiration of his office in 2019.
Mr. Sheriff, who arrived the event late,
regretted missing the speech presented by Mr.
Okezie, but expressed confidence that he
spoke well.
Mr. Sheriff noted that from the crowd he saw
in the stadium where the event held, was
clear that the governor was popularly elected.
He said, “I missed the speech of my younger
brother the governor of Abia State who stayed
in Maiduguri, who I have known in
Maiduguri. But I am sure he said all the right
things.
“From what I have seen in the stadium, it is
clear that his election is the election of the
people. It is election that God has destined. It
is not election that we call it election by air,
election by writing. This is the election of the
people.”
Earlier in his remark, the Deputy National
Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus,
congratulated the governor on his victory at
the Supreme Court.
He said it was clear that the governor came to
power by popular mandate.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, the
governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, said the
change the nation expected could turn out to
be “chance”.
Mr. Okezie said since he assumed he had
provided infrastructure in the state, including
the construction of about six roads in Aba.
Other PDP governors who attended the event
include Nyesome Wike (Rivers), Ifeanyi
Okowa (Delta), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom)
and deputy governor of Ebonyi State, who
represented the state governor, David Umahi.
The four governors like Mr. Okezie had their
elections confirmed by the Supreme Court.
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