By Adeleye Kunle
FORMER Federal Commissioner for Information and South South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, revealed on Tuesday why former President Goodluck Jonathan stopped attending Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, meetings.
According to Clark, former President Jonathan is angry with his party because of what party members led by former National Chairman and former Governor of Bauchi State, Adamu Muazu, did to Jonathan by betraying him when he sought reelection as President of the country in 2015.
Clark, who noted that PDP leaders from the north worked against Jonathan because they believed it was the North’s turn to produce the President, emphasized that many PDP governors from the north mobilized funds for the then All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, against their own flag bearer.
The Elderstatesman and leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, who noted that Jonathan had learned his lessons, which explained why he stopped attending PDP meetings, particularly the National Executive Committee, NEC of the party, of which he is a life member as long as he remains a member in accordance with the constitution.
Speaking at his Asokoro residence in Abuja, where he hosted the Delta Central APC Leaders of Thought, DECALT, led by its National Leader, Chief Ominimini Obiuwevbi, the leader of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF, who lamented that the same northern governors in the PDP who had rejected zoning were now talking about competence and integrity in 2022, accused the party of what he called manipulation in allowing Atiku Abubakar
“Now, coming home politically, Jonathan was the president for some time as a result of President Yar’Adua’s death,” Clark said. Jonathan reigned for about five years; he is a Christian, and the northerners declared that it was their turn.
“They’ve been bothering Jonathan since 2011.” Even in 2015, northern PDP leaders joined forces with Tinubu and the APC to depose Jonathan. Jonathan was on his own when it came to campaigning.
“So, when people ask why Jonathan is no longer in the PDP and is no longer attending PDP meetings, I can safely say that he is learning his lesson that the people he trusted did not trust him.” They squandered the party’s funds and then fled.
“So, when people ask why Jonathan isn’t in the PDP, he knows how they betrayed him, how the northern PDP governors contributed money to Buhari’s success, how government members betrayed him.”
“At the time, the PDP’s national chairman was Governor (Adamu) Mu’azu.” He did not campaign in his hometown; he was simply following Jonathan around because he knew what he was doing. They were all rooting for Buhari to win. So Buhari was victorious. He has been in power for eight years.
“Now, the same northerners are claiming competence, no zoning, and integrity.”
“It fell for the bait; they manipulated the PDP with Alhaji Abubakar, who has long desired to be President of Nigeria, championing the cause of division.” So the PDP, a party we admire, a party of southern Nigeria, let us down.
“In 2019, 11 million people voted for Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.” 5 million from the north, 5 million from the south He no longer believes we ever did anything for him.
“Nigeria has changed. If anyone tells you that everything is fine in Nigeria, they are living in a fool’s paradise.
“I am pleased to note that you are members of the ruling APC party, and I will convey a message to Mr. President, the leader of your party.” But, while we are in the minority, in every society, the minority and the majority must coexist. We have never seen a community with only the majority; if that is the case, some of them will become the minority.
“We are the largest ethnic nationality in Delta State, but some people dominate within you.” We don’t need this society in which people are not equal because we are alive. That is what Mandela fought for: equality for all. People should live in a country where they can grow up and do whatever God created them to do.”
Clark, who recalled that when governors of Southern states insisted on zoning the presidency to the South, the SMBLF immediately seized on it, has regretted that despite an agreement for Southerners not to accept the running mate position to any Northern presidential candidate, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has been chosen as the PDP’s Vice Presidential candidate, despite hosting one of the governors’ meetings in Asaba.
According to the South South leader, the APC, which he believed the people of the South South should not do business with, became the party that listened to the region’s yearnings over zoning and the need for the South to produce the next President in 2023.
Clark, who stated that he would have voted for the ruling APC if not for his age and the party’s decision to run a Muslim-Muslim ticket, stated, “Several times we met here, and before the PDP had their primary, we met here again and repeated the same thing.”
“We didn’t realize that our own Governor, who initiated this meeting, if you agreed to hold a meeting in your house and then backed out, you betrayed your colleagues.” Isn’t that right?
“That’s why one of my cousins dubbed Okowa the miscreant.”
“So I’m very happy that you’re here to give us, not just me, but our organization, your support, and they will hear it.”
“We have seen that we still believe in the southern presidency today.” As a result, some of us have stated that the APC, which we never wanted to discuss, is the one who has listened to us by zoning the presidency to the south.
“Of course, I’m an old man now, 95 years old, and I no longer belong to any political party.” If I were to vote, and you only allowed two parties to run, APC and PDP, I would vote for APC for zoning the presidency to the south and listening to our concerns.
“Who exactly is Atiku?” Whoever believes he is so important that people like us will not listen to him when we speak. A good leader must be willing to listen to us. So, what will he do if he becomes President?”
“Now, Atiku has been kicking against Jonathan’s presidency since 2010,” said the Elderstatesman, who also accused the PDP Presidential candidate of opposing Jonathan’s presidential ambition since 2010. He said it was their turn, but today, Atiku and his supporters said integrity. Where in Nigeria…everyone here has integrity and competence.
“You know, the governors of the states think they’re so powerful this time.
“However, it is this Muslim-Muslim ticket that has caused me to withdraw my support for your party.” I’m not going to talk about it because I’ve already issued a statement.”
Jonathan is angry with the PDP because they betrayed him in 2015, according to Clark.
