Governors Were PDP’s Problem, Glad They Left, Says Presidential Aspirant

A presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sandy Onor, has dismissed concerns over the absence of governors in the party, saying some of the former governors were part of the PDP’s problems and their exit was beneficial to the opposition party.

Speaking after his screening for the presidential race, the former senator expressed confidence in the PDP’s grassroots strength and ability to reclaim power at the national level.

“So I’m not bothered at all about whether we have governors in PDP presently or we do not have. Some of these governors were even a problem to us. It’s good that they left,” he said.

Onor said the party’s strategy would focus on mobilising support from ordinary Nigerians rather than relying on governors or political elites.

“We believe that our campaign will be centered on the grassroots. We believe that the people of this country yearn for a change and we reflect that change. We understand where they are. We know what they are going through. We are going to speak their language,” he stated.

The aspirant, a professor of history and former senator, highlighted his experience across different levels of government, describing himself as one of the most experienced candidates in the race.

According to him, he had served as a local government chairman, chairman of the Local Government Service Commission in Cross River State, commissioner for agriculture, commissioner for environment, and later senator of the Federal Republic.

“So you can see that I enjoy robust experience across the three tiers of government. I don’t think there’s any other candidate who shares that distinction with me,” he said.

Onor said his combination of executive and legislative experience gives him a broad understanding of governance and positions him to effectively tackle Nigeria’s challenges if elected president.

Addressing concerns about divisions within the PDP, the presidential hopeful insisted that the party had moved beyond its internal crisis.

“The narrative that the PDP still has issues is fertilized by the press. It is you that gives the impression that we still have issues. We have no issues,” he said.

“There is only one PDP led by Alhaji Abdurlahman and that is the narrative you must tell to the people.”

On the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Onor said opposition politics should not be based on condemning every government policy, noting that some decisions of the current administration deserved commendation.

He specifically praised the removal of fuel subsidy, describing it as a courageous step against corruption.

“This president came on his very first day in office. He removed subsidy and released a lot of funds for development,” he said.

However, he argued that the benefits of the subsidy removal had not been adequately felt by ordinary Nigerians because of poor implementation and lack of accountability.

“I think that those who are his downliners have not done justice to the enormous funds released by virtue of the subsidy removal,” he added.

On insecurity, the PDP aspirant linked rising violence and instability to poverty and unemployment at the grassroots level.

“One of the basic issues dwelling insecurity is grassroots poverty. We must look for ways and means of ensuring that our young men across Nigeria are meaningfully engaged,” he said.

He advocated stronger local government autonomy and direct funding to councils as part of efforts to improve grassroots security and governance.

“When you have local governments that are not properly funded, you will have a lot of ungoverned spaces in the country,” Onor said.

“I will ensure that local governments are properly funded. And I will ensure that youth unemployment is checked. Youth must be meaningfully engaged.”