Leadership (Abuja)
Ibrahim Sheme
17 April 2008
National chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Vincent Eze Ogbulafor, said he envisioned a time when all Nigerians would become members of the ruling party and the country would become a one-party state.
"I don't care if Nigeria becomes a one-party state," he told media executives at a dinner organised by the National Working Committee of the party in Abuja last night.
Chief Ogbulafor also assured that the PDP will continue to rule Nigeria uninterrupted for the next six decades because of its spread and clout in the country.
"We will rule this country for the next sixty years and we mean it. Our brothers (the press) know that the PDP is the biggest party in Africa," he said.
He explained the role of the party in the present dispensation included ensuring that all party members abide by the rule of law being canvassed by President Umaru Musa, a man he described as "harmless, peaceful, focused and ready to deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians."
The party would also be regenerated and refocused during his tenure, and would be geared towards working for the success of the president's seven-point agenda, he said.
It would work harmoniously with the National Assembly in a relationship to be guided by mutual respect, he said.
"This is specially designed so that our president will have a good working relationship with the National Assembly."
The chairman stated that the NWC of the party would ensure that all local council chairmen and state governors elected under the banner of the party implement the party's programmes as well as respect the country's constitution.
Going down memory lane, the chairman described as "divine" his unexpected emergence as leader of the party, explaining that he had never expected to clinch the position because he did not campaign for it. "It was purely an act of God."
"Whenever I see people struggling over power, I sit back and laugh," he said. He gave his experience as an example of how things are always predestined, pointing out that two weeks to the national convention of the PDP where he was unanimously adopted as national chairman, he had been ill and on admission in a hospital.
He pledged the party's commitment to serving the people of Nigeria through supporting the government and working harmoniously with the National Assembly. The president's seven-point agenda, he said, touches on the existence of human beings and whatever would make Nigerians happy, such as good health care, power and energy, transportation, security, education and the development of the Niger Delta.
He suggested that the abundant human and natural resources Nigeria is blessed with should be used in the development of the country.
He urged Nigerians to love one another and live in peace and unity.
The chairman also commented on the Ekwueme committee, which was set up by the party in order to reconcile the divergent interests that arose as a fall-out to the 2007 general election. He revealed that the committee would soon submit its report to the party.
Chief Ogbulafor recognised the influence of the media in democracy while canvassed the media's support for the party. He called on the media to join hands with the PDP in charting the course for the nation's development, adding that the press should eschew sensationalism in its reporting of issues related to the PDP as doing so would create a negative perception of the party on the mind of the common man.
Last night's interactive banquet was the first time the PDP leadership interacted with media executives at such a forum.
It was attended by broadcast and print media executives and political reporters.
Members of the NWC of PDP also in attendance included the party's deputy national chairman, Dr Bello Halliru, the party's women leader, Hajiya Inna Maryam Ciroma, and its national publicity secretary, Professor Rufa'i Ahmed Alkali.
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What in heavens name has PDP done for the country for Chief Ogbulafor to even envision a time when all Nigerians would become members of PDP and the country would become a one party state? If I did not know the Ogbulafor's, I would think that Vincent is delusional and day dreaming.
PDP replicates to Nigerians what the military regime was, characterized by corruption, lack of vision and tunnel vision. If the likes of Chief Mathew Obasanjo, Madam Pat Etteh, Madam Iyabo Obasanjo-Bell and Mr. Ali and David Mark to mention a few are anything to write home about then the dream of Mr. Ogbulafor is a wishful thinking. Nigerian have tasted and rejected all that PDP has to bring to the table and would not want any further replication of PDP/Military regime. The wind of change sweeping across the world will eventually anchor at the shore of Nigeria it would be after then that Mr. Ogbulafor would know that the party was over and a change was imminent.
Nigerians deserve better with all the natural resources we are blessed with and yet our President would travel to Germany for medical treatment suggesting that he has no confidence in the government that he and his party are presiding. Mr. Ogbulafor please show us the money, quality healthcare and employment for the teeming unemployed graduates now turned criminals ETC. But until then please go back to the drawing board and re-cast you projections because the premise you started with is dead wrong.
This PDP chairman has ridiculed his own integrity with such populist, backwards thinking and undemocratic comments. Prince Ogbulafor tells the whole world that Nigeria and Africa as a whole have not learnt any lessions from Kenyian and Zimbabwean political turmoil which are both products of a ruling party clinging to power at any cost. Just for his chicken brain, Nigerians are clamouring for a total revolution whereby all old fools like himself will be sent on early retirement.
This is dangerous talk for sustainable democracy in Nigeria
Please can someone tell The National chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Vincent Eze Ogbulafor that he is "asleep in power drunkenness" with his projections for Nigeria. He is actually advocating a system that the rest of the world is going away from. What a mediocrity and a shame!
Poor guy...doesn’t he read international affairs/politics and trends in governing? Does he think that Nigerians would allow him to take them back to the sixties? Really he is very intoxicated with his present power and leverage...but he should wake up and remember that Nigeria is being touched by the international wind of democracy, and does not exist in a vacuum! !