The member representing Ibadan North-West/Ibadan South-West federal constituency of Oyo state in the House of Representatives, Hon. Adedeji Dhikrullahi Stanley Olajide, has declared that the ongoing congresses of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) across the country signify a fresh beginning that will reposition the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking with journalists in Ibadan at the Oyo State PDP congress, held at the basketball court of Lekan Salami stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan, Olajide described the exercise as “the birth of a new PDP,” stressing that the reforms being witnessed across the 33 state chapters of the PDP across Nigeria are signs of laying a solid foundation for a stronger and more united political family. He noted that despite the turbulence of recent years, the PDP had weathered the storm and was poised to reclaim its pride of place in Nigeria’s national politics.
According to him, the party remains the most experienced political organisation in Nigeria, having mastered the democratic process over the years. He emphasised that PDP had learnt from its past and was now embracing a new era of stability and inclusiveness. “PDP is not a rookie party. We have been in this process longer than any other political party. Politics is our business, we have learnt it, we have mastered it. Gone are the days when violence was the order of the day. This is a new dawn for Nigeria,” he said.
Olajide likened the rebuilding process of the PDP to the birth of a new baby, insisting that by November, after the party’s national convention, Nigerians would witness a fully repositioned PDP ready to drive fresh ideas and initiatives for the nation. “PDP is the right movement, the right platform and the right form of energy for anyone who truly wants to move this nation forward. With leaders like Governor Seyi Makinde and others providing direction, the best is yet to come,” he declared.
Speaking on reconciliation efforts within the party, the federal lawmaker dismissed fears that the congresses might alienate some leaders, describing such concerns as exaggerated. He maintained that politics is a game of alignment and re-alignment, stressing that dissenting voices would eventually key into the new momentum sweeping across the PDP. “Politics is like a moving train, when it is slow, you can hop on easily, but when it gains speed, you risk being left behind. Some of those you describe as aggrieved will eventually come on board.”
“There was a time it was very frustrating, when we could not even see light at the end of the tunnel. But gradually, things began to turn around. Now momentum is gathering, not only in Oyo, but also in Lagos, Ondo, the North and across Nigeria. The positive energy we are witnessing shows that good things are about to happen,”
He called on party faithfuls nationwide to remain steadfast, united and hopeful as the PDP marches towards its national convention and assured that the outcome of the exercise will herald a new dawn for Nigeria’s political landscape, adding that the party was ready to provide the kind of leadership Nigerians desire as the country prepares for another electoral cycle.
