The Peoples Democratic Party is considering a change of name as part of the rebranding process aimed at improving its electoral fortunes in 2019.
Reports indicate that it is one of the conditions given by those who left the party before the 2015 general elections to consider coming back to the fold..
A well-informed source in the party said this might be one of the issues to be discussed by the party at its hurriedly called National Executive Committee meeting, which holds in Abuja on Thursday.
A report in This Day cites two senior members of the party as saying that they believe the fortunes of the party would improve during the next general election if the party adopts a new name.
According to them, “It will also enable more people, including those who left the party, the opportunity to join the party.”
He cited former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, as one of those who had privately expressed concern about the party’s name.
“I don’t know whether this is why he left for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) but I am convinced that his decision to leave must have been influenced by the issues bordering on the party’s name.
“It is not only Gana that is seeking a change of name. Many of the members of the party who had left and desirous of coming back to the party also want a change of name,” the source also added.
But the leadership of the party is said to be opposed to the idea, saying the PDP is a brand that has done well for the country and still has what it takes to do better.
In his reaction, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the party welcomes ideas on how the party can succeed in the 2019 elections, stressing however that a change of name is not on the agenda of the PDP.
He was quoted by This Day as saying, , “We seek new ideas on how best to sell our party to the generality of Nigerians. But changing the name of our great party is not in contemplation of the organs of our party.
“Why do we need to change our name? Our party is rebranding, repositioning and more than ever ready for the 2019 election. We lost in 2015 not because we were called PDP but because the opposition party then tagged us with unprintable names.
“Today, we remain the most viable opposition in our country and we have carried out our duties to the country responsibly. Nigerians are rallying the PDP because they have seen through the All Progressives Congress (APC) lies and propaganda.
“For us in the PDP, we will not change our name just because we lost election in 2015. In the Unites States of America, the Democratic Party has lost elections in its 190 years of existence but it has not changed its name. Also, the Republican Party has existed for 164 years without a change of name.
“The PDP has lived for almost 20 years and lost election only once. Our rebranding is not about change of names but adopting democratic culture that meets best practices all over the world.
“The PDP is striving to meet these practices on daily basis, and it has become responsive to the demands of members. Our party therefore has no need to change its name.”
