The National Secretary, Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alhaji Shehu Gabam, has said that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) cannot be cured of impunity.
According to him, the lack of remorse on the part of some chieftains of the Party who were alleged to have carried out acts of impunity during the Party’s last national convention showed that the PDP could no longer be redeemed.
He told Business Day in an interview: “We invested our time and resources to make sure we gave the party the best that any human can give. Our recommendations on how to remodel and restructure the party were well accepted. The NEC also approved it. But again it was jettisoned.
“At the Convention, there was no single semblance that everything that was generated by the committees was imbibed. There was no sign of remorse.
“PDP wasn’t built by people who were shortsighted. It was built by great visionary leaders and politicians who during the dark days of military regime damned the consequences and formed a formidable national party. I am happy that what they did gave this country democratic stability for 16 years. It revolutionised the political space and sparked massive technological and infrastructural development. But, of course, along the line some rascality manifested in the party.
“But, people assumed office and felt nobody could talk to them, the abuse of the party became entrenched. The basic structure of the party was abandoned by so-called contact men from outside the party structure.
“Not too long ago, we saw great personalities of the party move out to join the APC as a result of impunity. Yet, with all this consequences, and all the fact findings we did, collected and imputed in a document, some group of people still felt that they must have their way…
“PDP is irredeemable. You can quote me anywhere. There is no one with capacity to redeem PDP right now. The people that have the capacity to do so have all left. And I can tell you that we are some of those who have the capacity.
“We have the capacity to deal with any issue with any individual. I am not reducing anybody but I can tell you that if at this material time the political colossus like Professor Jerry Gana, who is the custodian of the power and oratory the party, who has ideas flowing like water and a commitment to defend the party at all cost, has left the party then it tells a lot.
“Another political juggernaut, Professor Tunde Adeniran, took the PDP to the South-west. Can you have one person that can replace him in the PDP today? None,
“I challenge any person in PDP. Who is that person that has the commitment and acumen of Adeniran in the PDP? So it is not about personal or parochial issues but personal interest. The country is tearing apart politically and we need a rescue team. And we have come as a rescue team to salvage the country.”
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