The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South- East zone says it has begun the process of reconciling its aggrieved members that defected to other political parties.
The party said this at its Zonal Meeting in Enugu, pointing out that the measure was part of the efforts initiated to reclaim its position in the zone.
It expressed the hope that the initiative would help to consolidate it support base for the political and historical development of the country.
In a speech, Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State urged party leaders and faithful in the region to rise to the task of recovering its lost ground and rebuilding the party to its pre-eminent position in the years past.
Mbah, who is the Leader of the party in the zone, said there was need to rejig the party’s financial, administrative and operational strategies.
He expressed a strong conviction that the party would rise again in the zone.
“As the National Vice Chairman South-East rightly observed, we have shed a lot of weight.
“Today, when you look at other parties, whether it is Labour Party, All Progressives Congress or the New Nigeria Peoples Party, and so on, you are actually talking about PDP members.
“But providence has placed a lot on us in the history of the party that we now have to steer the affairs of the party and pull it back to its former glory, to that pre-eminent position we have always held in the historical and political development of this country.
“And in doing that, we have a couple of areas we have to look into, such as financial, administrative, and operational strategies to bring us back to pre-eminence.
The governor further said that it was time for the party to begin to craft a strategy on how it couldc get back to that “pole position” that they had always occupied.
“It means we have to first of all consolidate our support base as a party, and now reach out to our brothers and sisters, who may have felt aggrieved for one reason or the other and left the party to see how we can bring them back,” he said.
Earlier in an address of welcome, the South-East National Vice Chairman of the Party, Chief Ali Odefa, also called on party faithful and leaders in the region to brace to the challenge that would engender the resurgence of the party in the zone and beyond.
“I would implore all of us to know that the fortunes of the party in the last one year have dwindled so badly and the onus is on all of us to see whatever efforts we can put in to make sure that we redeem the past glory of the party,” he said.
He opined that it was only through the collective efforts of members that the party could return to the enviable height it used to be in the zone.
Odefa, who recalled how PDP used to have five governors in the zone some years back, said “it reduced to four, then three, and one ran away.
“It remained only two and after the last election, we only have one seated with us here – Gov. Mbah.
“But by the grace of God, some of our candidates in other states are in court.
“So, it is our prayers that the one we already have will be retained and the ones that are pursuing their cases in court would win.
“We must do everything to get our party back on the track,” Odefa further said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the party and former Senate President, Sen. Adolphus Wabara, has gave assurance that the party would bounce back in the region, given Mbah’s leadership quality.
According to Wabara, nothing will happen to PDP, all these people will come back because this is their home.
“So, I do not want us to be discouraged. Let us continue to have hope and belief in PDP,” he said.
The meeting was attended by the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ossai, former governors of Imo, Chief Achike Udenwa and Chief Emeka Ihedioha; former governor of Ebonyi State, Dr Sam Egwu, and Zonal Woman Leader, Ifeyinwa Morah as well as state party chairmen, including Augustine Nnamani of Enugu State.