08 Aug 2013
President Goodluck Jonathan
- PDP screening committee clears 13 for Anambra gov poll
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The presidency and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Wednesday returned the jibe at the All Progressives Congress (APC) for calling on President Goodluck Jonathan to defect to the opposition party.
They described the invitation as an admission by the new party that it had no better presidential material in its fold to match Jonathan.
Their reactions came just as the PDP screening committee has cleared 13 governorship aspirants for the November governorship poll in Anambra State. Four others were disqualified over problems with their tax documentation.
Their reactions came just as the PDP screening committee has cleared 13 governorship aspirants for the November governorship poll in Anambra State. Four others were disqualified over problems with their tax documentation.
APC interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, at the inaugural meeting of the new party’s interim National Executive Committee in Abuja on Tuesday, had invited the president to defect from the PDP to join the progressive fold.
However, in a riposte yesterday to Akande’s remarks, the presidency and the PDP said the invitation to Jonathan was a tacit admission by the APC that the opposition party had nobody to field for the 2015 presidential election.
According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, the APC’s invitation to Jonathan justifies the position that the opposition political party lacked the human resource to provide good and effective governance for Nigeria, adding that it will always have to depend on the PDP for leadership in all ramifications.
He said: “While it is not out of place for political parties to make overtures to those they believe have the capacity to assist them gain greater acceptability among the electorate, it is noteworthy that this invitation is being extended to a sitting president who was elected on the platform of another political party and whose unquestionable performance in the last two years has often been derided by this same political cynics.
“It is noteworthy that in extending its invitation to the president, the national chairman of the APC made reference to what it called ‘the crisis rocking the PDP’, forgetting that the real test of leadership is not in running away from crisis but in resolving it firmly and fairly.
“The very nature of democratic politics envisages conflict of ideas, interests and aspirations which must be aggregated for the overall good of the public and which all true leaders must be mentally and emotionally prepared to tackle.
“The very nature of democratic politics envisages conflict of ideas, interests and aspirations which must be aggregated for the overall good of the public and which all true leaders must be mentally and emotionally prepared to tackle.
“This is why Mr. President has continued to pursue the transformation agenda with zeal, focus and unequalled determination despite the enormous security challenges mostly orchestrated by elements in the opposition political party who had hoped that the ship of the Nigerian nation would not stay afloat under the first president ever produced from a minority ethnic group.
“Unlike the APC, which its chairman confessed was just putting together its manifestoes and leadership structure, the Peoples Democratic Party, which produced the president, has pursued and is currently executing a definite blueprint to take Nigeria out of the woods of economic stagnation and social deprivation, with verifiable degrees of success in the last two years.
“With this invitation by the APC to President Goodluck Jonathan and open declaration of its unpreparedness by its National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, it should be apparent to Nigerians that this new political party is directionless, lacking substance, and without a clear purposeful leadership.”
Okupe also explained that the claim by Akande that the presidency was not APC’s priority was forced to shift attention from the fact that the party does not have any electable presidential material in its ranks, adding, “Those it presently parades are political liabilities without any modicum of national electoral value.”
“Nigerians will note that the bulk of those who make up the APC are making their debut in the national political space and therefore have little or no understanding of what it takes to steer the ship of a great nation with such complex socio-cultural diversities and the intricacies of balancing these diversities within the polity for national stability.
“The destiny of Nigeria is too big, and the aspirations of Nigerians too important, to be entrusted into the hands of political learners or neophytes on the national platform.
“The APC’s promise of change therefore is not a dependable incentive for Nigerians to take a gamble with our collective patrimony,” he added.
Also criticising the APC for asking Jonathan to come and join its members, the PDP explained that the invitation was as a further indication that a leadership crisis is already rocking the opposition party only a few days after its registration.
The ruling party, in a statement by its acting National Publicity Secretary, Tony Caesar Okeke, said: “The APC has confirmed to Nigerians that it does not believe in the leadership abilities of its prominent leaders, General Muhammadu Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
“This confirmation reinforces our earlier assertion that the duo are despots lacking in democratic credentials.
“The call has betrayed the opposition as a clueless party in dire need of leadership and ideology and as such seeks to tap from the PDP.”
“The call has betrayed the opposition as a clueless party in dire need of leadership and ideology and as such seeks to tap from the PDP.”
PDP also responded to a statement credited to Buhari that the APC will push out the ruling party in 2015, saying in a democracy only the electorate has the power to vote out a party.
Meanwhile, ahead of the August 24 governorship primary election in Anambra State, the state screening committee has cleared 13 governorship aspirants and disqualified four others.
Those cleared by the committee, chaired by Ambassador Aminu Wali, are Jerry Ugokwe, Senator Emma Anosike, Patrick Ugboma, Nicholas Ukachukwu, Alexander Obegolu, Andy Ubah, Uzor Obinna, Okoye Michael and Agape Kramer Ifunanayi Chukwu.
Others are Josephine Anenih, Akachukwu Nwamkpo, Walter Okeke and Charles Odunekwe.
Others are Josephine Anenih, Akachukwu Nwamkpo, Walter Okeke and Charles Odunekwe.
Those disqualified are: Tony Nwoye, Ugochukwu Okeke, Sylvester Okonkwo and Domain Onwuanyi.
Also yesterday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) told a PDP delegation that it would not recognise anybody as the party’s chairman in Anambra State except Mr. Ejike Oguebeogu.
Also yesterday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) told a PDP delegation that it would not recognise anybody as the party’s chairman in Anambra State except Mr. Ejike Oguebeogu.
The delegation, led by the acting Deputy National Chairman, Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, and which included 17 governorship aspirants from the state had visited the commission asking for recognition for Mr. Ken Emeakayi as the state chairman.
The commission after much pressure, told the PDP delegation that it would look into the party’s complaints.
The commission after much pressure, told the PDP delegation that it would look into the party’s complaints.
Source:Thisdaylive
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