2019: PDP needs a credible candidate - Lawmaker

The only Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member in the Lagos state House of Assembly, Mr Dipo Olorunrinu, says the party needs a popular presidential candidate in order to reclaim power in the 2019 general elections.

Olorunrinu spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Saturday, April 14.

He spoke against the backdrop of the recent declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari to seek re-election in 2019.

Expressing optimism that the party would reclaim power in 2019, Olorunrinu said “nothing is impossible in 2019 as long as the PDP presents a popular candidate.

“The party has apologised to Nigerians on whatever it might have done wrong.

“People should reconsider PDP; as the party has learnt how not to fail again.The PDP will take the bull by the horn; looking at the credibility of the candidate it will present.

“We don’t need a candidate that the party will begin to start selling. We need someone who is already selling himself or herself before the party begins to sell him or her.’’

On the increasing number of aspirants eyeing the PDP presidential ticket, the lawmaker said that a candidate with good credentials and credibility would help the party at the polls.

According to him, though everybody has the democratic right to contest the presidential ticket, the party should also consider experience, background, capability and credibility of a would-be candidate.

“We don’t need time wasters to come on board. We need the PDP to be formidable to go against the ruling party at this moment.

“We need to listen to what the people at the grassroots are saying in selecting our candidate. We need to move in the direction people are going,’’ he said.

Olorunrinu urged the party to sell socio-economic recovery and inclusive governance to the people.

The lawmaker advised the party to repackage itself for a good outing in the 2019 general elections.

Meanwhile the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, stated that any candidate the opposition party fields for the 2019 presidential election would defeat President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking in Abuja, the nation’s capital, on Thursday, April 12, the PDP chairman opined that there is no way Nigerians would give their votes to Buhari in 2019; as the present administration had failed to deliver majority of its promises.

Secondus listed economic recession, high rate of unemployment, insecurity, high cost of living, daily job losses, and lopsided anti-corruption war as some of the problems the APC government had foisted on citizens.