The chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Screening Committee for the Edo State Governorship Election and Plateau State Governor, Caleb Muftwang, has assured all aspirants contesting the party primaries that the PDP will provide equal opportunities to all of them to test their popularity.
He gave the assurance while speaking to aspirants at the commencement of the screening exercise in Abuja on Monday.
He said, “I want to assure you that we will give all the support we can to ensure that PDP retains Edo State.
“Ultimately, it is only one person that will emerge. If we believe that it is God that gives power, then it is not today neither is it on the election day that God is going to determine who will govern.
“He has already determined. But we as humans don’t yet know, that is why these processes are ongoing. We appreciate the concerns that you have expressed, putting in place a level playing field, we are going to be strong advocates of that.
“And ensure that at the end of the day, we have a process that is transparent, a process that is fair. I am a beneficiary of that process. That when all is said and done, we will still work together as one big family.”
One of the aspirants, Osaro Onaiwu, who spoke to reporters shortly after he was screened, said the party should have an effective reward system in place to encourage members who have kept faith with it.
He said, “I was the founding DG of the PDP Governors’ Forum. So, I came home to my party that belongs to us. They said they don’t have anything to ask me regarding the screening and it’s like I’m coming to my bedroom and we should try to work together to make sure Edo State remains in the hands of PDP because they have a feeling that there is disagreement in the state but as a party man, if the right thing is done, I’d always support the candidate that emerges.
“I have done it at the federal level and I was DG of a presidential aspirant twice and we lost in 2019 and in 2023 we lost again. It is not in my DNA not to support any candidate irrespective of the outcome of the primaries.
“Winning Edo is a priority to the party; winning Edo is a must win for PDP as we cannot allow Edo to slip to the hands of the APC. I have told everyone to drop their ego and support whoever emerges as the PDP candidate for Edo State as long as the process is free, fair and transparent.
“The party’s publicity Secretary has raised an alarm to denounce the publication of the allocation of changing of venue which is also part of the transparency.
“PDP must have a reward system for loyal party members who have been with them regardless of the storm, for instance, I founded the PDP Governors’ Forum, so what is my reward and how will you compensate me for holding down the party? Will I just sit down and allow people who don’t know the meaning of PDP to come and rule?
“Who does not know what the PDP stands for? We must build our party, we have been in opposition since 2015 because we always import people into our party, people are using PDP as a vehicle to get to their destination, as soon as they get there, they forget the vehicle. So, we are preaching to let them start to build the party through faithful party members.
“Nobody should control the party, but we need faithful party members to go to the senate, to become governors and even the president. How do you define competence?
“Governance is not capitalism, Governance is welfarism. Governance is not a private sector where you make profit, it’s about the well-being of the people. Competence is not about the number of degrees you have or the numbers of churches you have built, are you a man of service? Governance is about humility, so if you don’t have, you cannot give.
“That’s why my campaign is “if it didn’t dey, it didn’t dey” you cannot give what you don’t have. Competence is about what you give to your people, so the key thing is welfarism”.
The committee screened all the 10 aspirants and is expected to deliberate on their performance and submit a report to the National Working Committee tomorrow (Tuesday).
Any aspirant who is disqualified has a right to appeal to the Appeal Panel before the primary.
