The new national president of the Popular Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, has vowed to lead the party to fight the Ekiti and Osun states of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in June set June 18, 2022 and July 16, 2022 as dates for off-cycle gubernatorial elections in Ekiti and Osun, respectively.
The PDP ruled the states at different times in the past.
Speaking at a thanksgiving service and reception held in his honor in Makurdi, the capital of Benue states, Mr. Ayu, who took office last Friday, said that the PPD will do everything possible to ensure the two states in the next elections.
At the same event, he also boasted that his party would win 25 of the 36 states in the 2023 general election.
“We are determined to recover at least 25 states in the country. We will stop the drift of people who migrated from the PDP to other parties, we will make serious progress so that there are more people in the party.
“Each and every member of the PDP will be supported. It is the only way we will rebuild our party. The PDP will fight tooth and nail to win the Ekiti and Osun elections. Those mistakes that made us lose the elections in the past will be corrected, ”he said.
The PDP currently has 13 governors, while the ruling APC and the Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) control 22 and one of the states, respectively.
While winning the upcoming presidential election is the PDP’s top priority, winning back its three governors and lawmakers who recently left the party may enhance Ayu’s credentials.
The trio of David Umahi from Ebonyi, Ben Ayade from Cross Rivers and Bello Matawalle from Zamfara States joined the APC between December 2020 and June 2021.