Newly elected national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, says the party if elected in 2023 will develop Nigeria as it did when it was in power for 16 years.

“We will move ahead to develop this country. We did it before. We are going to do it again. I want to thank the governors,” Mr Ayu said during his thank-you speech.

Mr Ayu, who was the consensus candidate at the party’s 2021 national convention in Abuja, got 3,426 affirmative votes out of the total 3,511 accredited voters.

He told Nigerians PDP was back to take over and “develop” the country, adding “PDP will come back to unite our people, put them together, north and south, east and west.”

The chairman-elect said “Many people imagine that this convention will lead to the break up of PDP. Those people who are dreaming like that, their dreams were misplaced.”

Referring to Nigerians “who have lost hope” in the country, Mr Ayu said, Nigeria is not a divided country. A small group of people decided to divide Nigeria.”

Mr Ayu was elected national chairman, while Taofeek Arapaja emerged as the national deputy chairman (South), and Umar Damagum national deputy chairman (North).

Efforts to achieve consensus for all 21 elective offices suffered a setback as agreement could not be reached for three offices – deputy national chairman (North), deputy national chairman (South) and national youth leader, won by Mohammed Suleiman.

Those returned unopposed with uniform votes of 3,426 were Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary; Ahmed Mohammed, National Treasurer; Umar Bature, National Organising Secretary; and Daniel Woyegikuro as National Financial Secretary.

Others are Stella Effah-Attoe, National Woman Leader; Kamaldeen Adeyemi Ajibade, National Legal Adviser; Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary; and Okechukwu Daniel as National Auditor.

Also elected were Setonji Kosheodo as Deputy National Secretary; Ndubisi David as Deputy National Treasurer; Ibrahim Abdullahi as Deputy National Publicity Secretary and Ighoyota Amori as Deputy National Organising Secretary.

The rest were Adamu Kamale, Deputy National Financial Secretary; Hajara Wanka, Deputy National Woman Leader; Timothy Osadolor, Deputy National Youth Leader; Okechukwu Osuoha, Deputy National Legal Adviser and Abdulrahman Mohammed as Deputy National Auditor.

The new members of the National Working Committee of the PDP are expected to assume offices after the tenure of the incumbent members expires on December 9.

(NAN)