The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, agreed to change its name, thereby yielding to pressure from members of the Reformed-All Progressives Congress (rAPC) led by Engineer Buba Galadima as condition for them to fully join the leading opposition party.

Addressing newsmen at the end of the PDP’s 80th National Executive Committee (NEC) held yesterday in Abuja, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said a committee had been set up to work on the modalities of changing the name but declined to mention the chairman of the committee.
Our correspondents’ report that in the aftermath of the MoU the PDP signed with some 39 political parties, members of the rAPC who wanted to be in the coalition from the position of strength had demanded a change of name for the PDP and automatic ticket for its members.

Yesterday’s decision by the PDP NEC was seen as a breakthrough by rAPC members even though it was not yet clear if their second demand for automatic tickets for their members had been accepted.

“The party has set up a committee on harmonisation to commence the process for possible change of name as part of efforts to re-brand the party ahead of the 2019 general elections,” Ologbondiyan said.

“Based on the workings of the PDP, R-APC and others, the issue of name change is not about time-frame; the time is now. So let’s follow the trend as it unfolds,” he said.

The PDP spokesman said the decision became necessary in order to accommodate other interests willing to return to the party including the R-APC members.