Full Text Of The Speech By Saraki As PDP National Reconciliation Committee Submits Report

The National Reconciliation and Strategy Committee (NRSC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has submitted its report to the party leadership.

Naija News reports the committee headed by former Senate President Bukola Saraki presented its report to the PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu on Wednesday, 6th April.

Speaking on why the committee was established, Saraki said the NRSC was “established against the backdrop of the poor state of our party as demonstrated by the intra-party conflict in many state chapters, disillusionment with the party by many members and by the Nigerian populace, and the inability to attract new members, and the loss of key stakeholders.”

He stressed that the committee preached the message of forgiveness, tolerance, and unity as it transversed the nooks and crannies of the country to appease disgruntled members of the PDP.

The former Kwara governor added that the message was well received and reconciliation was either set in motion or achieved across board among stakeholders.

He advised the PDP leadership under the guidance of Dr. Ayu to always ensure justice and fairness in its dealings with party members.

Below is the full text of Saraki’s speech at the presentation of the report as made available to Naija News.

“The National Reconciliation and Strategy Committee (NRSC) was created after a resolution approving its establishment and Terms of Reference was passed at the 90th meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great party on November 23rd, 2020.

“At its inception, the Committee was tasked with the mandate of identifying and resolving disputes at various levels of the party structure and reconciling aggrieved members to promote cohesion and strengthen the party structure.

“Shortly after its inauguration, the Committee’s mandate was expanded to include the design of progressive strategies as means of reinventing the all-inclusive and broad-based foundation of our party as a basis for success in future elections and the delivery of real solutions to the problems confronting our country.

“Upon its establishment, I was privileged to be named Chairman to head a Committee comprising men and a woman of integrity and influence drawn from the six geo-political zones namely former Senate President, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; former Governor of Cross Rivers State, Senator Liyel Imoke; former Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Ibrahim Shema; former Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo; and former Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola, with Hon. Linus Okorie as Secretary. 

“The NRSC was established against the backdrop of the poor state of our party as demonstrated by the intra-party conflict in many state chapters, disillusionment with the party by many members and by the Nigerian populace, and the inability to attract new members, and the loss of key stakeholders. Our party was described in the media as “hemorrhaging”, at the time.

“Together with these men and woman, we have traversed the length and breadth of our dear country meeting with critical stakeholders of our party to identify the stress points that have caused conflict at various levels of the party structure and work together with these stakeholders to resolve them.

“While doing so, we have repeated the same message to stakeholders of our great party everywhere – that it is only with great patience, forgiveness, and the spirit of sacrifice for the greater good that we can rebuild our party, restore the confidence of the Nigerian people in us and set out on the important task of rescuing our country.

“Everywhere we have gone, we have repeated Abraham Lincoln’s wise words “We are not enemies but friends. We must not be enemies. Though our passions may strain, they must not break the bonds of our affections.”

“Mr. Chairman, our committee is pleased to report that this message was well-received across the country and formed the foundation for the resolution of drawn-out crises between rival groups and the reconciliation of discontented stakeholders.

“We are pleased to report that our committee was able to work with stakeholders in several state chapters like Borno, Ogun, Ondo, Niger, and Plateau to resolve the crisis that had plagued the party for years. In other states like Cross Rivers and Yobe, we have been able to work with stakeholders to rebuild the firm foundation of our party after some members defected. And in some states, while we may not have been able to completely resolve the crises, we have been able to get contending factions to engage in dialogue and set them on a sure path to genuine reconciliation.

“In the course of our activities, we also met with critical stakeholders and organs of our party and listened to their grievances. We received their suggestions on how best to remodel and reposition our party as the best vehicle for the delivery of sustainable development and good governance to Nigerians.

“On the strategy side, it was the committee that recommended to the last NWC the need to slash the nomination and expression of interest fees payable by youths who are aspiring to various public offices in other to encourage members in that demographic to seek elective offices on the platform of the party.

“It should be recalled that our recommendation came after we had a meeting with the youth leaders and other youth groups within the party. That recommendation which was accepted by the NWC has since been copied by other parties.

“Mr. Chairman, the report we have come to submit today contains a detailed breakdown of our deliberations with the key stakeholders, members, and organs of our party; the issues that were raised, and our recommendations to ensure that these issues are conclusively resolved to the benefit of our great party.

“Mr. Chairman, we need to point out that while so much has been done there is still so 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 PDP being severely weakened and hampering its chances of success in previous elections.

“Mr. Chairman, we believe that you and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) are men and women of great courage and integrity who have displayed a commitment to our great party, its ideals, and values. We want to advise that the party leadership should at all times adhere to the principles of equity, justice, fairness, good conscience, and inclusiveness.

“The leadership should always be transparent in taking decisions such that those not favoured by the decision can at least see that they have been given a fair hearing and those whose cases prevail can see that they won on merit, therefore having to be magnanimous in victory.

“We urge you, Mr. Chairman, and other members of the NWC 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 the 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 by their actions create a crisis in any state.

“Also, 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.

“Let us commend the efforts of the NWC on some of the key steps you have taken to reposition our great party, particularly as they are in line with the recommendations of this committee which you will find in the report we are submitting to you. One example of such great steps is the revival of the defunct People’s Democratic Institute (PDI) to serve as a policy think-tank and centre of the party.

“My colleagues and I are grateful for the opportunity to be of service to our great party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party, its leadership, all its members, and by extension, the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who have long desired peaceful resolution of the crises plaguing the party and our party’s return to the helm of the ship of the Nigerian state to successfully navigate the nation and her people towards sustainable socio-economic and political development.

“Thank you. Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Long Live PDP.”