Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on Wednesday assured that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would return to power in 2019.
Ekweremadu also lamented the prevailing hunger and anger in parts of the country.
He urged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to take steps to quickly put out the “fire because a hungry man is an angry man.”
Ekweremadu spoke when the PDP reconciliation committee headed by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, met with him and the National Assembly Caucus of the party in Abuja.
Citing example of the Republican Party which won the United States presidential election despite its internal crisis, Ekweremadu said PDP would surely bounce back.
He said: “We have crisis. Yes, but just like every organisation and every political party once in a while.
“The Republican Party in the United States of America had their crisis even in the midst of election, yet they won the election. There was a time during the crisis that some party leaders disowned their presidential candidate. They refused to campaign for him. But in despite that, Americans voted for the Republican Party. Today, they have the presidency and the majority in the Senate and the House.
“So, whatever happens, I believe, surely, PDP will be back in 2019”.
He, however, reminded PDP faithful that both the party and the nation were on fire, hence opposition party had no time to dissipate on internal wrangling.
He added: “Today, the country is in crisis. So, our (PDP) house is also burning. We can’t be chasing rats while our house is burning. The PDP house that is burning needs to be rescued. And everybody needs to put in efforts to ensure that it happens.
“But, I think the greater tragedy is that the Nigerian community is also burning. There is hunger in the land. There is also anger in the land because a hungry man is an angry man.
“There is also tension all over the country. People are being killed, from Ile Ife to Benue, to Zamfara, all the way to Borno and Kano.
“So, we cannot be struggling over leadership when our people are dying of hunger and starvation, and while there is tension all over the place. Nigerians expect all of us, not just the PDP people, but the entire leaders of this country to work together for the peace and progress of Nigeria.
“So, the time to come together is now and I’m happy that everybody is thinking about it.”
THE NATION