Today, we gather joyously as a congregation of victorious men and women whose badge of honour remains the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Standing firmly with the umbrella, we overcame a tragic crisis of leadership, so huge that it threatened to destroy our beautiful party; together we fought against proponents of ethnic and geographic divisions; we trounced the naysayers who abandoned the core values upon which the party was built and in the process, arrested the party from the vice grip of those who abhor internal democracy and shun adherence to the rule of law.
More importantly, we fought and returned the party to its rightful owners, the people, an accomplishment which speaks to the fundamental principle upon which the party was erected.
It is against this backdrop that I unreservedly congratulate all of you, who stood firm when the storm raged. You showed exemplary resilience when push came to shove; you refused to be downcast when those who pretended to be leaders of the party betrayed you disgracefully; you survived the taunts of the naysayers who proclaimed your party dead as if they were God; you painstakingly stayed the course of the night in the stubborn faith that morning would inevitably come and here we are, with that morning certainly before us.
You have in the process, put to shame the cynics who never believed our party would rise again. Together, we are standing on the positive side of history with renewed energy, vision, and purpose, more united and committed to the task of making Nigeria a truly prosperous country. You are undeniably great men and women. I salute your courage, tenacity, and loyalty.
It is gladdening to note at this juncture that, throughout this period of morbid and avoidable crisis, our members at the grassroots across all the wards in this country remained largely stable in their dedication to the party.
They insisted that they would never leave the party that has over the years, contributed in no small measure to their welfare and upliftment on the one hand and the development of the society at large.
So, while they watched the ugly spectre of the infidelity of opportunistic elites that were gyrating from one party to another in the pursuit of selfish purposes, they remained faithful to the party, praying fervently for a renaissance to come.
Their prayers have been answered by God, and that renaissance is here.
Together with all and sundry across all the nooks and crannies of our country, we shall rebuild our party in such a way that would meet the yearnings and aspirations of the generality of Nigerians.
Let me make it abundantly clear that the path to the future for our party must be paved with the values of inclusiveness, unity, and renewal.
Our brothers and sisters, with whom we journeyed in agreement or disagreement, should all come and join us in rebuilding our party for the common and collective good of all and sundry.
No one would be excluded, and everyone would be given an equal opportunity to serve in unity and love. We must all pledge to a renewal of our commitment, loyalty, and dedication to the party.
We must all sacrificially commit to a new era of purpose and collective vision predicated on the core values enunciated by our founding fathers.
This party was built fundamentally, as a Peoples Party, and we must therefore, moving forward, create legitimate channels through which the people’s voices must be heard and upheld.
Once again, let me heartily welcome all delegates to this convention of inclusiveness, unity, and renewal.
God bless the Peoples Democratic Party,
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Wike addressing the press during the convention.
