Jonathan: PDP Remains Unshaken Despite Defections

President Goodluck Jonathan, has said the Peoples Democratic Party was still strong and stable and would remain unshaken despite the defections of some of its members to other parties.

Addressing a mammoth crowd of party supporters shortly after receiving former Governor Attahiru Bafarawa into the PDP at Kangiwa Square, Sokoto on Saturday, Jonathan maintained that PDP was unshaken and stable and remained the only party that could lead the country to greater heights.
The President also said the PDP would begin a tour of states to hold rallies to showcase the party.

"We are going round after this rally in Sokoto State. Next Saturday we will be going to Imo State. The other week, we will go to Kano State. We may also go to other states, but the national committee is also working out our zonal rallies," he said, while leading leaders of his party to formally receive Bafarawa into PDP.

Bafarawa, who was until recently a leader of the All Progressives Party (APC), had defected from the party following the decision of the leadership of the APC to hand over control of party structures in Sokoto State to Governor Aliyu Wamakko, who joined the party from PDP.

Wamakko, along with four other PDP governors - Rabiu Kwankwanso (Kano), Murtlala Nyako (Adamawa), Ahmed Abdulfatah (Kwara) and Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers) had defected to APC last year in the heat of the crisis that bedevilled PDP.

The party, which was enmeshed in crisis after it held its mini convention last year had also lost former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, some members of the House of Representatives, 27 members of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, majority of the members of the Kano and Kwara Houses of Assembly and all the elected council officials in Kwara state to the APC.

Speaking at the event, Jonathan said, "PDP is the only party that can bring stability to Nigeria. PDP is the only party that is stable and obey rule of law and the constitution. In fact PDP just dey Gidigba, no shaking."
He said: "In fact, I was telling some people when we were coming in this morning and I saw the crowd left and right that if we were running a parliamentary system where the prime minister will look at the political environment in the country and call for early elections, I would have called for early elections, let us see where this noise is coming from, whether they are supported."

Jonathan also berated legislators who defected from the PDP to the APC, for not seeking the consent of their constituents before taking the decision.

"Some people are afraid to go back and contest the seats because in a normal setting, if a parliamentarian leaves his seat and cross to another party, the assumption is that you have consulted your constituency and they agreed that you should cross over. Such a parliamentarian would want to call for early elections to show that he is going with his constituency but in Nigeria, the story is different. Well, time will tell.

On the planned rally, he said: "We want to go round the country, all the zones to tell Nigerians that PDP is still the number one party. And we want to do this before we start election because from the middle of this year people will begin to become aspirants, because PDP has not turned to anybody.

"So, there is no any aspirant yet for any position. And this is the best time we are going round, we are going round to showcase PDP, what the party has done over the period and what it will continue to do".
Noting that the party had undergone various stages and problems and remained stable, he said other parties were still evolving.

He said other parties "are still passing through maybe what in Biology they talk about Metamorphosis, other parties are still evolving. In earth sciences they talk about metamorphic rocks; we don't know what the metamorphic rocks will lead to, but it is changing.

"Other parties are still changing, we don't know where they will change to but PDP is stable at all levels and we promise that PDP will continue to give leadership at all levels in that regard."

The President said, "PDP is the only party that belongs to all Nigerians. There is nothing like gender factor in PDP, we don't talk about creed, we don't discriminate based on anything. If you go outside Nigeria today and ask how many parties do you have in Nigeria, you will hear PDP and others.

"So, PDP is the symbol of democracy in Nigeria today and that is why all Nigerians, even those not in partisan politics were worried about the happenings in PDP because people believe in PDP and are aware that if anything happens to PDP, it will affect the country," Jonathan said.

The President said his visit to Sokoto was not to campaign for any position but to receive Bafarawa into the PDP and reassure followers in the state and the whole country that PDP was still united and would lead this country to greater heights.
He said, "We are here to welcome Bafarawa, a great and formidable politician, most of the characters that we are talking about today came through him. He believes that the interest of this country is above individual interest and has declared to join PDP to lead this country to stability.

"In Sokoto state today, we are waiting for the next election and Bafarawa has promised to deliver Sokoto to PDP. So, when you see Bafarawa and Shagari, these two people coming together to be in PDP, do you have any other fear or option? Where are the others? They are nowhere to be found."

Jonathan said the Federal Government flagged off the Almajiri programme in Sokoto in its quest to liberate Nigerians through qualitative education and urged the people to disregard insinuations that his administration had not done anything in the state.
"We are told that people in Sokoto are being deceived by some politicians that the PDP government at the centre has not done anything in Sokoto. We flagged of the Almajiri programme in Sokoto and I came here personally and inaugurated the Almajiri school with the Sultan.

"I believe if probably I was born in Sokoto State, I would have probably been an Almajiri because I belong to the peasants and come from a peasant family. My parents are peasants. And that is the encouragement we are giving to everybody, if I can become the president of the country and stand before the highest persons of the world, that means that any of you here can do that.

"I was able to reach this position, despite coming from a peasant family, I was able to go to school.That is why my committment is to liberate Nigerians and we believe we can liberate Nigerians, if we give them access to education. So, we believe in the education of the Almajiris so that in the future, we will be a great country,"Jonathan averred.

In his remark, the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Ahmadu Adamu Muazu, said, "Despite the loss of some of our governors, I want to assure you that we have not lost the people. Our followership, as you can see from the people here who have come in very great number and I'm sure that Jonathan: PDP remains party to beat in 2015.
He noted that the mammoth crowd that thronged the venue was an indication that the people of Sokoto were solidly behind PDP, assuring that the party would redouble efforts to meet the yearnings of Nigerians.

Vice President Namadi Sambo called on people of the state to continue to support PDP and lauded Bafarawa for his decision to join PDP.

Senate President Mr. David Mark said no amount of propaganda and blackmail would put off the light of PDP in the country, adding that Nigerians were currently benefiting from the dividents of democracy.

Also speaking, the Chairman of PDP Governors Forum, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, said no conspiracy against President Jonathan from opponents would stop him from winning the 2015 polls, as the election would not be defined by propaganda but by what the PDP had done in providing dividends of democracy for Nigerians.

In a remark, Sokoto State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mukhtari Shagari, said the people of the state believed in equity and national unity and were solidly behind the aspiration of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

"Mr President, the people of Sokoto are solidly behind you and by God's grace, come 2015, we will send you back to Aso rock," Shagari stated.
He commended Jonathan, for signing the anti-gay law, describing it as a good step in the right direction.

Bafarawa, in his own remarks, urged president Jonathan not to worry, as he was determined deliver Sokoto to PDP in 2015.

"Mr President, As far as Sokoto is concerned, I want you to go and sleep. forget about those who betrayed you, they have also betrayed me and I was the first victim. I helped them but they betrayed me. So, you should not worry about them and I assure you that no party will get councillor in Sokoto except the PDP.

"We are going to help you if you declare to contest in 2015. We joined PDP based on principle to build the nation and democracy," he said

But the President's visit has received knocks from the APC in Sokoto. The State Organising Secretary of the party, Hon. Bello Muhammad Goronyo, said it was disheartening that the President left important issues of state to visit Sokoto to receive "paper weight politicians".

"Visiting Sokoto by Mr. President is a personal thing. He should have sat in Abuja to address issues of corruption, issues of insecurity and oil theft. There is the issue joblessness among our youths. But he is pursuing his personal aenda and his personal aenda is to be re-elected. Nothing more", Goronyo said.

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