PDP Crisis: Jonathan Asks Combatants to Sheath Their Swords

Party inaugurates post-election review committee Mu’azu: I did my best for the president

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday night held a peace meeting with the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and some of his aides at the Presidential Villa where he directed a cease fire among feuding members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Also, the party inaugurated a committee to review the circumstances that led to the defeat of the PDP at the general election and to chart a roadmap to reform the party ahead of 2019 elections.

Giving details of the meeting with the president, the National Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Adewale Oladipo, who inaugurated the committee on behalf of the national chairman, said the president had directed all warring members of the party to sheath their swords over the budding crisis.

According to the PDP national secretary, “Let me use this opportunity to relay President Jonathan’s message to all PDP leaders and members. He has given definite instruction that all acts of unwarranted attacks and counter-attacks on members and leadership of the party should stop immediately.”

Oladipo said the terms of reference of the Review Committee which has three weeks to submit its report, included: “To identify the remote and immediate causes of the relatively poor performance of the PDP in the 2015 general election.

“To trace the origin and process of the seeming decline of the party in its electoral performance.

“To take a critical look at the preparations and build-up of the PDP to the general election and determine its adequacies and lapses.

“To review and determine the adequacy of the structures for the 2015 general elections and how those structures functioned “To ascertain the degree of anti-party activities, compromises and outright sabotage that may have contributed to the misfortunes of our party at the elections.

“To look at the funding of the elections to determine whether or not the funds meant for the campaigns were adequate and whether disbursements were properly done.

“To identify different groups in the party which were to play critical roles before and during the elections, and determine the effectiveness or otherwise;

“To determine any other matter that may be considered necessary in the interest of the party.

“To propose a road map for the party to recover its past glory and definitely win the general elections in 2019.”

In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of the PDP Post Election Review Committee, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who lamented the out come of the elections, said: “Let me empathise with party faithful across the country over what has been generally accepted as the poorest outing of the PDP in any general election since its birth in 1998.

“Our pains and disappointments are well founded, especially given the enormous hopes and prospects the party holds as a pan-Nigerian movement for social, economic, and political transformation. Thus, it is not a loss for the PDP only, but a loss to the great people of this country that the party lost the steering at the time it had laid a solid foundation through the transformation agenda of the present administration.”

However, he

said Nigerians must appreciate the fact that change is the only constant thing in life, stressing, “Much as we are pained by the sad turn of events, we must come to terms with the fact that anger, recriminations, self-pity and blame trading will not take us even an inch away from the harsh outcomes of the 2015 general election.”

The governors of Akwa Ibom, Gombe, Abia States and the National Chairman of PDP, Adamu Mu’azu, were absent.

But the PDP spokesman, Olisa Metuh, explained their absence, blaming it on communication gap, stating: “The governors thought that the absence of the national chairman would affect the date of inauguration of the committee.”

He said the secretary of the committee, Walid Jubril, who was absent on health ground would be replaced in the interim as secretary by the former Minister of Police Affairs, Adamu Maina Waziri.

The committee has three weeks to submit its report.

Meanwhile, Mu’azu, said if he had his way he would have delivered Bauchi, his home state, to President Jonathan in the general election.

Mu’azu said those who are criticising him for the poor outing of the party during the election are “being economical with the truth,” because he did his best for the PDP.

“I gave my best and all to the campaign of Mr. President and the party. We went to every state in Nigeria to campaign; those who insinuated that I did not do my best for our great party and Mr. President during election are being economical with the truth,” he wrote on his Twitter page.

According to him, “If I had my way, everyone in my state ‘Bauchi’ would have voted for President Jonathan but it’s the people who vote not me, those who blame us for not delivering maximum votes to the president in the North seem to have forgotten that it’s the people who vote. “The perception of President Jonathan and our party in the North was at an all-time low because of the lies that were told by politicians.” The PDP national chairman, according to an online news medium, TheCable, said he never regretted supporting Jonathan and would gladly do so if given another opportunity.

“I have repeatedly reminded many that I, Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu have been in the PDP since 1999 as a matter of principle and strong ideology; I will support President Jonathan again and again if the opportunity presents itself,” he said.

“Some even ridicule and insult us that we betrayed President Jonathan. How can one betray himself? The APC has nothing to offer someone like me. I am too principled to betray my party. I have been here since 1999; the unity of Nigeria to me is greater than sectional or ethnic interests. I can never regret supporting our leader President Jonathan

“I have always preached against ethnicity and tribalism and the voting pattern in the election was a concern to me personally, In the face of abuse, insult and open ridicule by our friends and brothers, we supported our leader, President Jonathan faithfully.

“Those who are busy pointing accusing fingers are yet to come to the realisation of what has happened but we have gone beyond that, the unity of Nigeria to me is greater than sectional or ethnic interests. I can never regret supporting our leader President Jonathan,” he said.