We’ve No Regret Fielding Jonathan for Presidency, Says PDP

We’ve No Regret Fielding Jonathan for Presidency, Says PDP

12 Nov 2015

Former President Goodluck Jonathan
 Party urges Buhari’s ministers to focus on economy
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the view expressed by the Chairman of the organising committee of the party’s National Stakeholders Conference, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, that the choice of former President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 presidential race was a mistake.
Dokpesi had while speaking with journalists in Abuja last Tuesday blamed the loss of the party in the presidential election on its decision to field the former president instead of a northerner in line with an earlier zoning arrangement.
He went ahead to offer unreserved apology on behalf of the party for what he said was a mistake, and pledged that the party would not allow any form of impunity in its affairs.
However, the National Publicity Secretary of  the PDP, Olisa Metuh, who spoke with THISDAY on Wednesday in Abuja, responded to Dokpesi’s statement, describing it as a mere personal opinion.
“That statement made by Dokpesi is his personal opinion and does not represent in anyway an official position of the PDP.  In the first place, Dokpesi is not a member of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the PDP and he can only speak in his personal capacity and his opinion remains personal and does not represent that of the party,” he said.
Metuh explained that the decision to allow ex-president Jonathan to contest the 2015 presidential election was not taken in secret, neither was any organ of the party excluded in arriving at the position.
According to the party spokesman, it would be uncharitable for anyone to blame the defeat of the party on that count since it did not in any way contravene  the constitution of the party and that of the Federal Republic of  Nigeria.
“The decision to field former President, Jonathan, in the 2015 presidential race was approved by the National Working Committee (NWC), the  NEC and the party’s national caucus.  In addition, the constitution of party allows a sitting president chance to exercise his personal right to run for a second term if he so desires.
“This is not the time for buck passing or blame game. We are repositioning our party. What we should do is to join hands to reposition PDP based on the Senator Ike Ekwerenmadu report to reclaim the party lost glory. This is what is expected of us all at this time,” he added.
On whether the party now regrets its action, Metuh said: “How can you regret a decision taken where everyone was there, the NWC, NEC and the national caucus. What are we talking about?  Everybody was conscious of the decision, nobody was coerced into supporting the position.”
Meanwhile, PDP has charged the in-coming cabinet of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government to quickly settle down, move fast and focus on the economy.
 The party said the present administration had so far played heavily on dramatising routine procedures and processes, which was even glaring in the prolonged swearing-in ceremony of the ministers.
Metuh said in statement yesterday that the much-expected assignment of portfolios to the ministers did not inspire confidence that there is indeed any change being introduced in the system.
The party said with the inauguration, the APC administration should fully resolve the issues on the actual position of the nation’s economy and the direction therein
“Whereas President Muhammadu Buhari had announced that the nation is bankrupt to the extent that he cannot pay his ministers, his new Minister of Information had contradicted him directly by stating how the government is buoyant and ready to deploy $2.5 billion infrastructure fund, saved N1.4 trillion with another N2.5 trillion ready as special intervention fund, which goes to say that the country is not actually broke.
“These new ministers should note the challenges before them regarding the image of the country which the APC government has changed from being the ‘Heart of Africa’ and a country of ‘Good people, Great nation’ to that of ‘Corrupt people, Broke nation.’
“Furthermore, we counsel the ministers, especially those who will be the face of the government, to note that the campaigns are over. Nigerians therefore will no longer condone propaganda, lies and deceit but expect a responsible dissemination based on truth, honesty and openness.”