Governor of Bayelsa, Senator Douye Diri, has stated that the Peoples Democratic Party is larger than any individual and that its internal challenges will be addressed when the party members collectively decide to tackle them.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja, following the inauguration of the party’s South-South zonal caretaker committee led by Elder Emma Ogidi, Governor Diri emphasized that resolving the party’s issues depended on the political will of its members, not solely on the leadership.
Diri, who also serves as Chairman of the South-South Governors Forum, pointed out that for the PDP to remain competitive as Nigeria’s oldest political party, it must first address its internal problems. He remarked, “For me, we have to look inwards before accusing those outside our party. We have to first fix our internal issues. It is very easy to point accusing fingers. But the PDP has to sit back and tackle its internal challenges. That is only when we can stand to compete with others.”
The Bayelsa Governor added that the PDP should focus on strengthening its internal cohesion, stressing that as the oldest political party in the country, it had no reason to blame external forces. “I want the PDP to be competitive with other political parties. We are the oldest political party in Nigeria. So we have no reason to be accusing outsiders,” he said.
When asked if the party’s leadership had the political will to discipline those causing unrest, Diri responded that the political will resided with the members. “We are all members of the party. The moment we all resolve that we need to fix our party, there cannot be any one person that is bigger than the party,” he added.
Governor Diri also expressed confidence that the newly inaugurated zonal caretaker committee would address the challenges facing the party in the South-South region, noting that they had the mandate of the National Working Committee to handle all related issues. He expressed hope that this step would benefit the party, saying, “In our zone, which is the only area in the country you have four governors of the party, we have all resolved and are together on this.”
He further highlighted the unity among South-South PDP governors, mentioning that even the deputy governor of Delta State had represented the governor, and that he had received messages from governors of Akwa Ibom and Rivers States. “It shows that we are together and what we need to do is to show leadership and work with the zonal committee so that our zone will again become safe and strong for the PDP,” he concluded.