Frontline Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has called on his party to open its doors to all defectors and also provide them with a level playing ground to pursue their aspirations.

Turaki described the PDP as the biblical Noah’s Ark in which you either get on board or get drowned.

He assured those defecting that the National Executive Committee of the party led by the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, had enthroned equity and justice which have made members to be proud of the party.

The former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs who said at a press interview that he did not rule out a consensus candidate, pointed out that the party parades eminently qualified presidential aspirants, but nonetheless advised that the best among them symbolised by him, should be selected as candidate for the greater good of the nation.

He said: “The part needs a candidate with integrity, credibility, education, knowledge and capacity to lead, in addition to being a bridge builder who will bring hope and strengthen the unity of the country besides enjoying the trust and confidence of the people.”

The secretary of the state chapter of the party, Farouk Yahaya, had said that the party’s national convention should provide the opportunity to reward any aspirant such as Turaki who had exercised patience, commitment and loyalty when the party had crisis, in addition to having the requisite character and other outstanding qualities which Nigeria needed at this critical period of her development.

Yahaya’s position was underscored by the chapter’s chairman, Engineer Sam Uhuotu, who noted that good products do not need much advertisement.

The chairman explained that the need to secure the future of “our children and the nation” were the reasons why PDP must present Nigerians with a capable and qualitative presidential candidate.”

On security, Turaki who served as the chairman, Presidential Committee on the Continuous Dialogue on Security under the Jonathan Administration said he would dust the report of the committee which the present government had dumped because it contained holistic recommendations by local and international experts that could have greatly ameliorated the current state of insecurity in the country.

He said: “We would rejig the economy with robust policies and bring private sector dynamism into the public sector. Remember that by May 28, 2015 Nigeria’s economy under PDP was the first in Africa – one of the fastest growing in the world and the third after China and Qatar.

“We would also construct critical infrastructure as we did before, but which APC government have been unable to maintain.”

Turaki decried APC’s policy somersaults that have affected the education sector negatively and also their lack of faith in implementing the 35 per cent Affirmative Action for women in leadership positions which the PDP even surpassed.

He further lamented that Nigeria had never been so divided since amalgamation in 1914 as being witnessed now, with the government also openly discriminating against those it claimed did not vote for it contrary to the laws of the land.

He praised the resilience of Nigerians and the hope that sustained in being rescued from the APC-induced travails, stressing that the PDP has a historic mission not to betray the hope which the people and other political parties have reposed in the party to salvage the country.

While presenting himself as the person capable of leading Nigeria out of the quagmire in which she is currently enmeshed, Turaki called for unity and focus among the people to vote out the inept APC government.

Update news