Governor Godswill Akpabio has commended the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the peaceful transition from one chairman to another. He also expressed confidence in the ability of the new National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, to unite and bring converts to the party.

Speaking in Uyo while fielding questions shortly after his return from Abuja, Akpabio said: “I am happy to announce to you that the immediate past National Chairman of Party, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, on his own resigned to give way to new leadership in the party. Today, we have the former Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, as the new National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party. The new National Chairman will unite the party and bring back more converts to the party.

“He will work with the stakeholders and all of us are the stakeholders. I will expect that we should unite and take our message out there. We are the party in government and we should let the people know what we are doing. We should be judged based on development.”

Governor Akpabio commended the PDP on the smooth transition from one Chairman to another, saying: “It shows the robustness of the party and determination to keep more than 27 Government Houses come 2015, including the Presidency. I congratulate the PDP faithful on their understanding, the immediate past Chairman for sacrificing his position and of course the party leader for smooth transition of power from one national Chairman to another without court issue.”

Reacting to a question on crisis in the PDP, Akpabio, who is Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, said: “There is no crisis in PDP. People are trying to take our members and our job is to stop them from taking too many of our members. That does not mean it will affect the fortunes of the party because it is only PDP that has representation in all the polling units in this country. This is a national party and the membership is in millions and Nigerians have confidence that nobody owns PDP. The PDP belongs to Nigeria and Nigerians take decision.

“There is no doubt that PDP has had its own challenges just like any organisation – even if it is corporate organisation you have period of planting and the period of harvesting, you also have period of shaking. In the last two or three months, the PDP has had it challenges and I think one of the greatest challenge occurred when we had defections. Five governors left and then about 37 members of the House of Representatives defected, and some members of the Houses of Assembly in Sokoto and Kwara. There is no way that can affect the fortune of the party.”

•Photo shows Governor Akpabio (right) receiving the video recording of the 2013 AKS 9999 Christmas Carol Night from the Director of Protocol, Government House, Mr. Aniekpeno Mkpanang . . . yesterday at the Governor’s Lodge, Uyo.