Hon. Timothy Osadolor is the Deputy National Youth Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In this interview with SAMUEL OGIDAN, Osadolor expresses optimism that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would be swept into political abyss in 2027, says God has kept PDP because he wants to use the party to favour Nigerians....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE➤
He also faults the actions of Governor Monday Okpebholo against duly elected local government chairmen and councilors, restates hope that Asue Ighodalo, PDP governorship candidate in Edo State will be instated as governor by the courts, among others. Excerpts:
2024 was a year PDP witnessed so much crises, especially internal crisis, what’s your take
Truly speaking, I am one of the many people relieved that 2024 is coming to an end in a few hours and looking optimistically towards 2025. My party, the PDP is still intact by the grace of God and because God is not done with PDP, God still wants to use PDP to favour Nigeria and Nigerians, else there is no reason why it’s still here, giving the level of very high profile sabotage from within and without. I will single out for commendation, Amb. Illya Damagun, for doing an excellent job after the PDP lost Sen. Iyorchia Ayu as national chairman.
What’s your projection in 2025?
Going into 2025 as an opposition party and truly the only major opposition poised to take over governance from this current apprenticeship government. We have a lot to do. I salute the National Working Committee (NWC), and particular of mention is Governor Seyi Makinde, for realising the role of the Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI) in PDP and for putting the structure and personnel in place to give the PDP templates, strategies and programmes to enable us take on the APC and her many arms and heads. This is one task that PDP has as a duty to the Nigeria nation and God, to liberate Nigeria and Nigerians from APCstranglehold.
Any chance for PDP coming back to power in 2027?
With the right networking, messaging and collaboration, with a credible candidate, PDP will win convincingly. 2027election is going to be like a revolt. It’s going to be bigger than a protest, even better as it will not be violent, but everyone will be at the polling unit with their cards to send APC into political abyss. We will be gracious to sendchillers and freezers along so they can freeze whatever plans they have to protest, regroup, or want to come back to the government in this country.
Personal and selfish interests are the major problems in PDP, any hope of overcoming these problems in 2025?
There is no political party where you do not have people with personal or selfish interests. Even in churches and mosques, it does exist. However, I urge all PDP leaders in the interest of this country and party and millions of people looking unto us, we must bury our personal ambition and see if it will not help us win or unite to win. We cannot afford to keep making mistakes and saying, we nearly won, but for Mr. A or for Mr. B. We have time now, let the JawJaw begin. I believe God sparing our lives, this NWC will continue to hold forth and lead PDP back to the villa.
Any hope of the major players, stakeholders in PDP coming together in the interest of the party to form a formidable opposition before the next election?
Going to the villa is not rocket science. The trust and mandate of the people under the mercy of our Lord God is all that is required. Therefore, I call on major power blocks within the party and our grand leader….Gen Olusegun Obasanjo, alongside former President Goodluck Jonathan to come back home and take their pride of place in the PDP. In the same vein, I call on the 2019, 2023 flag bearer of the PDP, our leader, Waziri of Adamawa, H.E Atiku Abubakar to come, provide leadership, party politics and ambitions are intertwined. It’s not a relationship best oiled every four years, it needs watering, communication and availability. I also charge our Governors to give the party tacit support and not individual support to personal friends in the NWC. I will be wrong if I do not appeal to Gov Wike to lay down his grouse for peace to reign and bring his charismatic spirit to work for PDP. No one should delude himself or herself to begin to think of wishing away an asset like Wike. If you do, he becomes an unresolveable liability to you. Time should have taught us all lessons and the time to heal and regroup is now. PDP needs her pathfinders, Sen Iyorchia Ayu is top on this list, Attahiru Bafarawa is on this list, there are others.
There are fears that PDP may disintegrate before 2027 because of the internal turmoil occasioned by external forces, are you not worried and the plan in some quarters to form a mega party before 2027, is this not a threat to PDP
The rumour that PDP will soon implode is not true. PDP is too organised and blessed to fold up. I hear too that there are plans for mega party formation to wrestle power from APC, this is good. But we saw what the labour experiment caused in Nigeria, we are eating agbado and ewa in excess today, thanks to them. But this is not time for lamentations and blame games, if the persons behind these grand plans are serious, they should be talking to PDP now, discussing strategies and working relationships.
What’s your take on the decision of the Edo State governor on local governments?
You see when you do not have a government that understands what the rule of law means, you get a Governor likeMonday Okpebholo of Edo State, who is still trapped in the 1999 Constitution and alien to developments around him, particularly the recent Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy. A Governor, who believes and promotes thuggery. We all saw his Hype man and others carrying canes from one local government area secretariat to another looking for elected council chairmen to flog. This is too much. The debasement is saddening. The decision the Edo State government took is amusing to keen watchers and points to only one thing, whereas the Governor has an erudite attorney General, and an Oshiomole, who spoke copiously on national TV about the pressure he was under to dissolve or suspend and how he resisted because it was wrong, Gov Okpebholo has chosen to listen to the many biceps around him, rather than common sense. I plead with Edo people to endure, we believe this temporary Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) pronouncements against the wish of Edo people will be vacated and Asue Ighodalo will come back to do the job Edo people have voted for him to come and do. ...CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE➤
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