Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, on
Thursday, challenged the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, for a
popularity contest on performance-based issues.
Speaking in Abuja while receiving in the
audience with one of the contenders to the office of the National
Chairman of the Party, Tunde Adeniran, and his campaign team, Jonathan
declared that he made to say that the PDP did well from May 29, 1999,
till May 29, 2015.
He stated that since then, the APC
administration has had nothing to show as an achievement, but rather it
has been ruling through lies and deployment of hi-tech propaganda to
cover up its misrules.
Jonathan who cited instances to back up
his claim, challenged the administration to a public debate over his
submission and “see who Nigerians will stone”.
According to him:
“PDP administration for 16 years, did well and will continue to do well,
but this administration has done nothing; the administration is full
lies and propaganda.
“In the power sector we did well to
revive it, a State Governor cruised our government, saying that any
serious government should be able to fix the power within six months.
Today, APC has been power for how many years? Fortunately, the then
Governor is in the APC Government as a Minister.”
“With the rate at which people are
coming around to associate with a party that lost elections, it shows
that the people still believe in the PDP. With the numbers and calibers
of the people coming out to vie for the seat of the National Chairman
and offices of our party, it shows that our party still have another
chance.”
He declared that for the party to get it
right and regain its lost glory, it would need a competent, reliable,
and courageous National Chairman, who would then lead the party to
victory come 2019.
According to Jonathan: “The contest for
the office of the National Chairman is very interesting; this is healthy
competition. Many of the aspirants have been coming here, this will
allow the delegates to choose the best among them at the Convention.
“However, for the
party to make a headway, we need a National Chairman that will select
credible and reliable candidates for various elective offices at the
various level of government, from the Presidency to the Councilorship.
“We need a National Chairman who will be
courageous enough to call the President to order, if he wins the
Presidency and the President is going astray; he must not be someone
when the party takes a position on issues, he will change.
“We need a National Chairman who will
rule the party democratically, and carry others along. In fact, the
National Chairman is the leader of the party, it is not the way around.”
Jonathan disclosed that with his long
interaction with Professor Adeniran and testimonies of other party
leaders, he possessed all it needed to lead the party at this critical
point in time, and wished him success in the race.
He however, advised the party members
and the aspirants, not to allow the Convention to cause another crisis
in the party, saying that the contest should be seen as a family affair.
0 comments:
Post a comment