The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has concluded arrangements to conduct a transparent, free and fair governorship primary in Cross River State.
The State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prince Mike Ojisi, who spoke exclusively to Voice of Nigeria in Calabar, the state capital, said that the party was prepared to give all eleven governorship aspirants the same opportunity to be voted for during the primary.
Ojisi said, “The gubernatorial primary of the PDP will be held on May 25, 2022. The event is going to be centralised and held here in the state capital, Calabar. PDP is a very organised party, especially in Cross River State.
“From the inception of democracy, the PDP has been winning elections in Cross River even though our mandate was recently stolen we know that the PDP holds sway in the state. That is why we have no doubt that we will win all the elections come 2023. However, we are prepared to conduct the primary,” he said.
Equal opportunity
According to him, the party did not push for a consensus candidate nor urge any of the aspirants to jettison their ambition rather arrangement has been made for the contestants to have the same opportunity and access to the delegates.
Ojisi said, “we have many aspirants for the governorship primary; we have about eleven people contesting for the ticket. No one has been urged to neither concede nor settle for a consensus agreement. The reason is that our mandate was stolen and we are committed to providing a level field for all the contestants so that the party will present the best to the electorate”.
He further disclosed that the PDP held successful ward congresses, which was a reflection of how the gubernatorial primary would be on May 25, 2022.
“We had a successful ward congress across the 196 wards in the state. We are ready to replicate the same at the governorship primary holding here in Calabar, the state capital. We have a venue and have made the necessary arrangements to have full media coverage.
“We are also determined to conduct the exercise in a very transparent, free and fair manner. We need the people and indeed Nigeria and the world to see how peaceful and transparent the process is going to be,” the PDP State publicity secretary said.
Gender-sensitive
Ojisi disclosed that among the aspirants were three women, who are vying for delegates’ votes to clinch the party’s governorship ticket.
He stressed that the PDP was gender-sensitive and encouraged women to take up elective positions, stating “we have 35 per cent affirmative action for women, so we take women seriously in our party. So for the women, who had indicated interest, the party accepted them. We are giving equal opportunity to women.
“It is said that what men can do women can do better and if you trace the history, it is obvious that women perform better when saddled with the responsibility. The party has been very open; the leadership of the party received each of the female aspirants that came for consultation,” Ojisi noted.
He added, “the PDP as a party has the best line up of aspirants and at the end of the primary, I know we will field the best candidates to the electorates. I can guarantee you that come 2023, PDP will win again as we have always done since 1999.”
Dominica Nwabufo
