The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has urged members of the party to close ranks, emphasising the presence of hunger and anger in Nigeria.

The PDP governors highlighted the significant surge in abduction cases and various other crimes, as well as the escalating food prices.

They asserted on Tuesday that Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu’s APC-led Federal Government, is closely resembling the situation in Venezuela.

Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, who stated this, Tuesday, during the party’s 76th Board of Trustees meeting at Wadata Plaza in Abuja, emphasised that there is no room for division in the major opposition party.

He urged party leaders to be strategic in promoting the party’s agenda to rescue Nigerians from suffering.

He explained, “We are working very hard behind the scenes. Some of the strategies have been revealed by the BOT chairman himself. We need to be strategic to prevent this country from becoming a one-party state and ensure that we all emerge victorious.

“The governors are determined to reposition the party and minimise the rancour and division that had characterised the PDP in the past due to the party’s size and our diverse interests. We certainly don’t have the luxury of indulging in that.

“The country is suffering. There is a lot of hunger and anger in Nigeria. For the third time, the country is looking up to us. We cannot continue to be the weeping boys or girls. We must close ranks, give the benefit of the doubt to each other, and give the benefit of the doubt to the party. That’s why we give them the vote of confidence despite anything.

“So that the various organs of the party, from the caucus to the BOT and National Executive Council, will be able to make decisive decisions on all issues for the time being. So we are with you. Reconciliation must take place. Most people have their groups here and there, but certainly, it is not the time for that.

“I am here to let you know that the governors are with you. We are ready to provide an alternative to Nigerians. There appears to be no good governance in the country, and we have said it yesterday. We will provide vibrant opposition to the current administration so that at the end of the day, we are not going to do it out of sentiments. We’ll do it with insight and knowledge.”

Earlier in his remarks, the acting Chairman of the PDP BoT, Adolphus Wabara, alleged that there are plans to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.

The former President of the Senate stated, “Our role as members of the Board of Trustees, the main organ of this party, is to ensure that this party does not die. If the PDP goes under, democracy will go under in Nigeria. We know that there are plans to turn this country into a one-party state, but that will only happen if we allow it. So we must fight for democracy in Nigeria, and it is only the PDP that can do that.

“Here, we follow due process democratically. I want to urge all of you, especially the NWC, to do everything to bring this party back on track. There are many issues, and it is time for us to address them. Where necessary, we should forgive and forget, and where necessary, take appropriate actions.

“Some people blame us for not taking disciplinary action promptly, and of course, that has always been the challenge of the party. We sometimes consider people’s faces before taking action. But some of us, especially in the BoT, are always objective. Anything that goes against our constitution will create problems; therefore, we should strictly abide by our constitution.”

On his part, the PDP acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, said that the best time to rebuild and reposition the party is now.

Damagum, who assured of the NWC’s commitment to building the party, emphasized that all hands must be on deck to reposition the party.

He stated, “Now that all 2023 election petitions are resolved, there is no better time to begin rebuilding the party than now.

“I also want to remind our BoT members that the task of rebuilding this party extends beyond the NWC. We are all stakeholders, and wherever you find yourself, you don’t have to wait for the NWC to speak up to protect the party; it is a collective responsibility.”

Those in attendance were former governors Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna State), Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun State), Sule Lamido (Jigawa State), Attahiru Bafarawa, and former Minister of Special Duties and Secretary of the PDP BoT, Kabiru Turaki.

Others included the National Secretary, Sam Anyanwu, the National Organizing Secretary, Umar Bature, former Minister of Police Affairs, Adamu Maina Waziri, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aminu Bashir Wali, and the immediate past PDP National Secretary, Ibrahim Tsauri, among others.