Bayelsa Bids for PDP’s Deputy Chairmanship Post

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

As the horse-trading for the various national offices of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gets underway, the Bayelsa stakeholders of the party have indicated interest in occupying the post of the Deputy National Chairman.

A former coordinator of the PDP National Youth Vanguard and a prominent member from Bayelsa state, Mr. George Turnar on Thursday unfolded plans to run for the second most important position of the party.

THISDAY gathered that there are ongoing negotiations to cede the position of the deputy national Chairman (South)) to Bayelsa. According to a source who is privy to the negotiations, party stakeholders are being swayed by the argument that while other states in the South-South – Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta and Edo – have all produced a member of the National Working Committee (NWC) in the past, only Bayelsa is yet to attain that level.

Addressing supporters who joined him at a special ceremony to inaugurate his campaign council in Abuja, Turnar said it is high time the party gave the younger elements the chance to run the affairs of the party.

“I believe that Nigerian youths remain major players in the politics and leadership of their nation. It is equally my belief that the aims and objectives of Africa’s most populous party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as enshrined in its constitution provides the most enduring and credible incentive for the development of young people in leadership and the fulfilment of their hopes and aspirations in life,” he said.
Turnah said that he does not in a trajectory that is built around a belief that youths of Nigeria have failed our generation.

“There is a growing sense, and a consensus is building that youths and women can no longer be limited to occupying the office of youth leader or woman leader year in year out. I believe the compelling need to rebuilding and repositioning our party for greater influence makes it imperative to widen participation of youths and women in its leadership,” he said.

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