Ahead of the People Democratic Party’s national convention in Port Harcourt next month, one of the chairmanship aspirants, former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran has committed himself to lead the process to reposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and reclaim its national glory.
Speaking in this regards through Yemi Akinbode, his media aide, Prof. Adeniran, who was Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, urged the delegates and leaders of the party to entrust him with the responsibility of being the National Chairman in order to ensure its rebirth and the enthronement of good governance in the country.
Prof Adeniran, a founding member of the PDP who has remained with the party in thick and thin and served in various frontline capacities, said that task ahead of the PDP and Nigeria required “fortitude and experience to help the party achieve its objectives.”
He appealed to the delegates to the forthcoming national convention to support his candidacy given his wealth of experience serving the party and the country meritoriously over the years. Prof Adeniran said that he was certain that, as committed leaders of the PDP, “you do appreciate the great need of the party for the wealth of experience and the dedication that I represent. We will work together and leave a legacy of honour, excellent party administration and good governance.”
Prof Adeniran, who was chairman of the Electoral Panel for the party’s 2011 National Convention and Deputy Director General of the Presidential Campaign Organisation last year, said that delegates should view the forthcoming national convention as a golden opportunity to reinvigorate and reposition the PDP and install a vibrant executive team that would reclaim the integrity of the party and its frontline position in Nigerian politics.
He further said: “The convention will also throw up possibilities of how best to tackle the challenge facing our party and help our governments at various levels achieve the objectives contained in our party’s manifesto.”
He also urged the delegates to honour the commitment of the party to have the southwest zone produce the national chairman this time. Since the birth of the PDP in 1998, only the southwest has not produced the party’s national chairman either in substantive or acting capacity.
Among aspirants for the party’s national chairmanship, Prof. Adeniran’s credentials stand out. Apart from being a loyal and consistent party man all the way through, he has devoted himself to the service of the party as Chairman of the Presidential Inauguration Committee in 1999 and member of various Electoral Panels and Reconciliation Committees of the party between 1999 and 2001. He was also member of the Presidential Campaign Council (2010 – 11) and Chairman of the Screening Committee of the Edo State PDP 2016 Governorship Primary, among other key positions.
Prof Adeniran was Minister of Education from June 1999 to January 2001, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany between May 2004 and January 2007, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) between 2009 and 2011, and Chairman and Director of the Directorate for Social Mobilisation (MAMSER) from 1987 to 1993.