2011 Elections: PDP Leadership Negotiated Jonathan’s Victory At Detriment Of Party’s Guber Candidates In S/West – Atiku

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on Sunday attributed the “dwindling fortune” of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West to betrayal of the party’s leadership.

Atiku, a PDP chieftain and one of its founding members, in a statement on Sunday, said his assertion was based on the way the party easily coasted to victory in the 2011 presidential elections in all but one of the South-West states but failed to have any of its candidates win the gubernatorial poll.
In his words: “It still remains a paradox to me how the presidential candidate of the party would win massively in all but one state of the South-West, yet the party failed to produce a single governor in the region and could only produce 18 state Assembly members in the same election.
“My experience in politics tells me that this paradox can only be explained in one way; that is, the leadership of the party must have abandoned the party and negotiated the victory of the President at the expense of the party.”
Alleging deceit, Atiku urged the party leadership to ensure sincerity in the application of party rules and to abandon the “divide and rule policy” in handling its affairs.
He said, “Recent events have shown that the leadership of the party has demonstrated insufficient sincerity in resolving the numerous crises, which are pitting the party members against themselves.

“Political manoeuvring that relies on the politics of patronage and arbitrary application of sanctions will not sustain the popular will of the people through which the party can recover the lost ground.
“The eloquent silence of respected leaders on the various crises is a disturbing sign which leaves the majority of the members confused.”
Atiku added “The national leadership of the party needs to respect the democratic wishes of party members in the zone and discourage the deliberate creation of factions, and upturning the results of duly conducted elections at the various congresses and the national convention.
“In all we do, the adherence to the constitution of the party in the conduct of the party’s affairs is the only hope for sustaining the existence and legitimacy of the party.
“Also, the legitimacy of the party can only be sustained if the provision of the welfare needs of Nigerian citizen takes precedence in the heart of the leaders rather than primordial politicking.”

Posted in: 9ja News