Embarrassed by corruption appellation leveled against it by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is believed to have set to change its name ahead of the 2019 general election.
It was learnt that the PDP has equally marked down the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu as the one to head a committee that would walk the party through the procedure.
It was leant that many of the party’s stalwarts have been worried by how the ruling APC has successfully branded the party as corrupt in the eyes of Nigerians and admitted that a rebranding is imperative to mount a successful challenge in 2019.
There is also concern by brand experts who warned that the name, PDP had become damaged goods that must be changed to give the party a fresh start.
It was further gathered that the decision by the PDP to change its name might have stemmed from last Thursday’s meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President Bukola Saraki.
Though, details of their discussion were not made public, many in PDP believed that with such sessions, the chances of bringing Saraki back to the PDP could be hampered.
The opposition party had long mooted the idea of name change, but had slowed down on the decision because a majority of its members were not disposed to it, and those who wanted it could not convince the others.
Besides, it was thought that even though the party had switched positions and had become an opposition party, PDP is still the only party with membership in the remotest parts of the country, and the name resonated with a majority of its members and admirers, particularly among the teeming illiterate populations.
But this very thinking had since changed, especially with the prevalent narrative of the ruling party, which is always attacking the PDP as a corrupt party. PDP believes the corruption allegation is the main defence APC has found to justify its continued stay in office, despite widespread belief that it has mismanaged the affairs of the country.
Source: THISDAY
