Newly-appointed national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ali Modu Sheriff, on Wednesday vowed to lead the party to regain control of the federal government in 2019.
Mr. Sheriff said nothing would stop his party, which lost power in 2015, from ousting the current All Progressives Congress’ administration.
Mr. Sheriff is a founding member of the All Progressives Congress. He defected to the PDP in 2014 ahead of national elections in 2015.
He gave his remarks on Wednesday in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, during a thanksgiving service organised to mark the victory of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu at the Supreme Court.
The court had on February 3 affirmed Mr. Okezie’s victory in the April 11, 2015 governorship election.
Mr. Sheriff, a former senator and governor of Borno State, who was named PDP national chairman on Tuesday night, said the PDP would soon come out with its master plan on how it would defeat the All Progressives Congress from power.
“We are here today, we are starting from here, and we are going to Aso Rock, Insha Allah by 2019,” the PDP chairman said.
“We will head from here and we will do it together. This my long cap is prepared to lead my colleagues and brothers to Aso Rock, Insha Allah.
“By the grace of Allah nothing will deter this party from going to Aso Rock in 2019. By the time we put down our master-plan I am sure they (APC) will go back to where they came from. And Insha Allah, nothing will stop us.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has not indicated he would seek a fresh term at the expiration of his office in 2019.
Mr. Sheriff, who arrived the event late, regretted missing the speech presented by Mr. Okezie, but expressed confidence that he spoke well.
Mr. Sheriff noted that from the crowd he saw in the stadium where the event held, was clear that the governor was popularly elected.
He said, “I missed the speech of my younger brother the governor of Abia State who stayed in Maiduguri, who I have known in Maiduguri. But I am sure he said all the right things.
“From what I have seen in the stadium, it is clear that his election is the election of the people. It is election that God has destined. It is not election that we call it election by air, election by writing. This is the election of the people.”
Earlier in his remark, the Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, congratulated the governor on his victory at the Supreme Court.
He said it was clear that the governor came to power by popular mandate.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, the governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, said the change the nation expected could turn out to be “chance”.
Mr. Okezie said since he assumed he had provided infrastructure in the state, including the construction of about six roads in Aba.
Other PDP governors who attended the event include Nyesome Wike (Rivers), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) and deputy governor of Ebonyi State, who represented the state governor, David Umahi.
The four governors like Mr. Okezie had their elections confirmed by the Supreme Court.
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