The Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI) Establishment Committee headed by the national vice chairman South of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former deputy governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja, on Thursday submitted its report to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) for the appointment of a Director General for the PDI.
According to Arapaja, the Committee which was inaugurated on September 12, 2023 by the acting national chairman, Ambassador Illiya Umar Damagun, was given free hand to operate without any interference.
He said the work of the Committee was to pick the best candidate as director general and to restore the PDI to its glory days when the Institute successfully hosted programs for both domestic and international audience, engaged in research based publications and contributed significantly to capacity building of party elected functionaries nationwide (from local to national) as well as at international levels.
“The Committee is charged with onerous task of interviewing all the candidates that applied for the position of the Director- General of the Institute and recommend three best candidates one of whom is expected to be appointed by the National Working Committee (NWC) of our party.
“The PDI was established in the year 2000 by the founding fathers of our great party. The mission of the Institute is to serve as centre of excellence for training, capacity building, research and development of democracy, and leadership in good governance. It is also expected to serve as a think tank for the PDP and to promote democracy in Nigeria, Africa and beyond.
“As a first step towards revival of the Institute, a befitting office building was rented, renovated, furnished and equipped for PDI to effectively re-engage the purpose for which it was established. This was made possible through the assistance granted to the Party by H.E. Engr. Seyi Makinde, the Executive Governor of Oyo State.
“The next important step is the appointment of the DG and the inauguration of the Governing Board of the Institute, after which the appropriate staff would be recruited. In this regard also, H.E. Engr. Seyi Makinde provided the necessary funds towards the process of appointing the new DG and has promised to provide the required seed fund to reposition the institute in order to achieve the purpose for which it was established.
“After this, it is hoped that other State Governors from PDP States and major stakeholders in the Party would readily come to assist the institute so that it can regain its past glories and be at par with other similar institutes/organizations in Nigeria and even beyond.”
The acting national chairman, Damagun, in his remarks commended the Committee for a job well done. He said the committee was allowed to operate freely while expressing the hope that the NWC will pick the best among the candidates.
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