Punish officers who create crisis at primaries, Saraki-led committee tells PDP

The National Reconciliation and Strategy Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the party to punish any official who create crisis in the conduct of conducting primaries for the party in the 2023 general elections.

Chairman of the committee, Bukola Saraki said this when he submitted their reported to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP at the party secretariat.

Saraki said the party should ensure only trustworthy party members are sent to states to conduct primary elections.

“We urge you to ensure a thorough and extensive scrutiny process in the selection of the people who will be sent to go and conduct the primary elections in various states as we prepare for the 2023 elections.

“They must be people who will be fair to all and adhere strictly to democratic tenets. Sanctions should be meted out to those of them who create a crisis by their actions,” he said.

“We need to mention that time did not allow us to dwell much on the area of strategy. We had so much to do in the area of reconciliation. It is, therefore, our recommendation that the party leadership should explore the idea of setting up a standing committee to advise it from time to time on the issue of strategy, particularly as we prepare for the 2023 general elections.

The former senate president also advised the party to develop a strategy to ensure proper reconciliation among all members once primaries are over.

“Mr Chairman, we need to point out that while so much has been done, there is still much to do. Our party has recently commenced the journey towards electing candidates to contest on the party’s platform in the 2023 general elections at the presidential, gubernatorial, National Assembly, and state Houses of Assembly levels.

“We have discovered that the conduct of primaries to elect candidates to represent the party has been a source of great intra-party conflict and friction in the past, resulting in the severe weakening of the PDP and hampering its chances of success in previous elections.

“Mr Chairman, we believe that you and other members of the NWC are men and women of great courage and integrity who have displayed a commitment to our great party, its ideals, and values,” he added.