Notable gladiators in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were absent Thursday at the official inauguration of the Board of Governors of the Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI) and unveiling of its road map in Abuja.
The party’s candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, acting national chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, BoT chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Bauchi state governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, did not grace the occasion.
However, Damagum, Bala, and Wabara were represented at the epoch occasion.
Speaking at the unveiling and inauguration programme, former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, noted that the PDI was long overdue, saying the party must be built on solid ideas before anyone can start talking about 2027 or aspire for any position.
On its part, the governor of Oyo state, who doubles as special guest of honour and chief unveiler, Seyi Makinde, said the Institute will further propel PDP and help showcase what the party stands for.
Saraki, while harping further, noted that all hands must be on deck with a view to moving the PDP forward.
He added: “We’ve built this party. Parties are built on ideas, philosophies, and policies. Let us move away from building ideas on self, on ambition. We cannot have an ambition if we don’t have a party.
“We cannot have a party if we don’t have ideas. This is where it starts from. This is the foundation that is important.
“Let us desist from talking about who is running for councillor, or who is running for governor, or who is running for president in 2027.
“Let us talk about what is PDP. What does PDP represent? What are the issues and policies that we must take into account? This is what is important for us. This is what Nigerians outside want to know. This is what is important,” he said.
Makinde, while unveiling the Institute, said PDI is modelled after the National Republican Institute and will become the research base and think- tank arm of the PDP.
“It would be saddled with training and research activities for the leading opposition party among others.
“The PDP can, and will do everything in its power to fix Nigeria. We can fix Nigeria. We’ll fix PDP and then PDP will fix Nigeria. And that will be the basis of real hope for the people of Nigeria,” he said.
