The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has challenged the newly elected National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to ensure a balance between partisan and national interests as he prepares to lead the PDP to provide a viable opposition to the ruling APC.
Oyegun’s challenge came just as the chairman of the PDP Peace and Reconciliation Committee and Bayelsa State governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, disclosed that the party has initiated moves to reconcile aggrieved members who lost out at the Saturday convention of the party.
Also addressing journalists yesterday, the newly elected National Vice Chairman, Southeast, Chief Austin Umahi, said the party would resolve, once and for all, the crisis rocking its Anambra chapter.
Oyegun who congratulated Secondus for his victory said he was ready for a robust engagement with the new PDP chairman, noting that he believed this could be done without acrimony and rancour.
In a statement yesterday, the APC chairman said he expected a responsible opposition that would ensure stable democracy in the country.
He said: “I assure the PDP national chairman of my willingness to engage him robustly in an atmosphere devoid of acrimony and rancour. I believe that working together we can both elevate the language and temper of politics in our country, thereby providing the enabling environment for democracy to thrive in our country.
“It is my hope that the newly-elected PDP national chairman will use his experience garnered over the years to ensure that the PDP assumes its role as a responsible opposition party in the country.
“Our party wholeheartedly welcomes opposition because we believe that democracy cannot thrive without a vibrant but responsible opposition that puts the nation first. This will often challenge you to balance partisan interests with overall national considerations.” – Thisday.
