Gov. Douye Diri, Chairman, PDP Congress Electoral Committee for Lagos State, has urged delegates to work for the unity of the party in the state.
Diri who is the governor of Bayelsa, told the delegates at the congress ground in Ikeja on Sunday, that without unity, it would be difficult for the PDP to win elections in Lagos state.
According to him, the committee has met with leaders of the party in the state on the need to approach the congress as a family, so as to position the party to win the 2023 election in the state.
“Our leaders have agreed to work together. Therefore, we expect that this congress will be very peaceful and it will be very successful. It will build the Lagos state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“I will like to appeal to contestants to uphold the interest of the party above personal ambition so that the party will come out stronger after the congress.”
According to him, the expectation at the end of the process is that the party will be more united than ever before.
He urged the delegates to listen to leaders and elders of the party, and vote in line with the consensus arrangement.
“In case, you don’t believe in consensus, you are equally free to express your franchise, we are in a democracy.
“All we want is unity in the Lagos state PDP. Anybody who do not want the unity of PDP in Lagos state should be shown the way out,” he said.
Diri urged the members to support the executives that would emerge from the congress, saying the PDP would occupy the Lagos state Government House if united.
Also speaking, Mrs Rita Orji , a former member of the House of Representatives, described the atmosphere of the congress as cool and peaceful.
Orji said: “So far so good, The leaders have been in closed talks. We are trying to get consensus candidates because it is a family thing. The consensus is almost done.
“The leaders have sat and there is no need for rancour. We are one house and what we are doing here is more than getting ready for the 2023 general elections .”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) the congress is for the party to chose officials that will oversee its affairs in the next four years.
NAN reports that voting eventually kicked off at about 6.00pm after accreditation of the delegates which commenced at 8am.was almost concluded.
The accreditation of delegates from the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state was taking place at the Nigeria Police Special Protection Unit, Oduduwa St. Ikeja GRA, while actual voting was holding at the Airways Ground by Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral.
About 15 LGAs are still waiting to vote as at the time of filing this report.(NAN)
