Nigeria Currently in Bad Shape, Needs Urgent Rescue, Says PDPYour support matters. Sustain independent journalism in Nigeria – contribute to Legit.ng. FCT, Abuja - The two-day national convention of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) commenced on Saturday, October 30 in Abuja, with leaders of the party deploring the poor state of Nigeria and urged citizens to support the party’s mission to salvage the country. The leaders, who included former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said that the country had never been in such a bad shape as it was currently and called on the people to join hands with PDP to rescue the nation from maladministration. Recommended for you Supreme Court vs FG: Strike looms as NLC issues fresh ultimatum to FG, Buha... Specifically, Abubakar reminded Nigerians that PDP grew Nigeria's economy to become the largest in Africa and made the country the preferred Foreign Direct Investment destination. His words: PAY ATTENTION: Join Legit.ng Telegram channel! Never miss important updates! Recommended for you "His music is so unique": Singer Simi reacts to Asake’s fabulous performanc... Welcoming delegates to the convention, chairman of the national planning committee of the convention, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Fintiri, said that the convention presented a starting point for Nigeria's "rescue mission". He urged delegates to vote wisely, saying that their decision would have a direct bearing on the strength of the party, going into the future. Fintiri, who is the governor of Adamawa, said that PDP was not just a vehicle for winning elections but a symbol for a free, democratic, and prosperous Nigeria that worked for every citizen. He added that because of the untold hardship in the country, Nigerians were yearning for the return of PDP at the centre as the 2023 elections drew near. Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the minority caucus in the National Assembly would continue to speak against the oppressive policies, incompetence, cold-blooded, arrogance and treasury looting of the All Progressives Congress. Recommended for you BREAKING: Court sends Okorocha's ex-commissioner to prison He said there were gory tails of difficulties all over the country with state-backed brutality, extrajudicial killings, and clamp down on dissenting voices which had led to sectional agitations in the country. Earlier, chairman of the accreditation sub-committee and governor of Delta, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, had supervised the screening of delegates at the Old Parade Ground, Abuja, before they were conveyed to Eagles Square for the convention. Okowa who addressed delegates during the accreditation said that the exercise was to ensure that the right people voted in the elective convention. He commended delegates for their orderly conduct assuring that the party was setting the pace for others to emulate. Legit.ng had earlier reported that Senator Iyorchia Ayu emerged as the new national chairman of the PDP. The former president of the Senate who is a consensus candidate took over the leadership of the main opposition party alongside 20 others elected into various positions within the PDP National Working Committee. Recommended for you INEC chairman releases list of states where governorship elections will not... Senator Ayu was declared the winner by Governor Fintiri amid jubilation from party members. In a related development, the Osun state chapter of the PDP on Saturday, October 30, lost out at the national convention of the party held at the Eagles Square, Abuja. A former deputy governor of Oyo state, Taofeek Arapaja, defeated the sole candidate from Osun and a former governor of the state, Olagunsoye Oyinlola to become the deputy national chairman (south) of the party. Arapaja, an ally of Governor Seyi Makinde, garnered 2,004 votes to defeat his only opponent, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who polled 705 votes. Source: Legit.ng PDP chieftains are beginning to talk tough ahead of 2023 as they begin a new phase in the affairs of their party The party has just conducted a hitch-free national convention with new national officials emerging through the exercise Key chieftains of the party say the success of the convention is the beginning of their efforts to displace the APC from the centre Your support matters. Sustain independent journalism in Nigeria – contribute to Legit.ng. FCT, Abuja - Join Legit.ng Telegram channel! Never miss important updates! Legit.ng “All through my life, I have never seen our dear country in such a bad shape. We have become so disunited, with so much unemployment and insecurity in the country. “Nigeria is now at a precipice because of lacklustre performance of the APC, but we now have the chance to atone for the mistakes of our past leadership, a chance to steer our country to its right position in the comity of nations. “The APC has proven itself to be incompetent and we are now ready to rescue, restore and rebuild the foundation of our beloved country. “We have a collective aspiration to return Nigeria to the path of growth and development and I call on all members of our party and indeed, all well-meaning citizens of our great country to join us in this struggle.”