Imported User:
President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, at the 60th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said that the crisis in Plateau State had nothing to do with the Boko Haram sect and noted that administration was doing everything possible to put a stop to unwarranted killings in parts of the country.
In his remarks at the meeting Jonathan, who restated his commitment to the protection of lives and properties, said security remained fundamental to his cardinal objectives. This was just as he said that the ruling party’s disposition to the rudiments of democracy has helped substantially to keep the system of government alive in Nigeria.
He said, “We believe that if we did not have a party as robust as PDP, probably, the Republic would have collapsed. This is because we witnessed what happened in the First Republic and we know the circumstance which led to the collapse of the First Republic and Second Republic.
“We know what is happening in other African countries. If the ruling party over intimidates and over imposes, using the weight of the federal government, it weakens the political system and creates confusion and instability.
“But the PDP, even though we control the federal government, we operate a system that even the opposition fly higher than us. They abuse us more, but we allow it. And it is the PDP that is handling the affairs of the country that is stabilising the democracy in the country.”
The President disclosed that he would henceforth deploy key ministers to regularly brief the party’s NEC so that members would be kept abreast of happenings in the economy as well as be able to defend the policies and programmes of the government even as he said that the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki would be the first in line.
The President also expressed regret that irreconcilable differences was the bane of the party in recent elections that the party has been engaged in, especially in the last governorship election in Edo State.
Meanwhile, the PDP, Board of Trustees, has accepted the resignation of its former Chairman, former President Olusegun Obasanjo on April 4, saying the party BoT members are now studying the party’ constitution in order to hold elections in due course.
In his welcome address, chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, tasked the party to remold its attitudes, values and beliefs in democratic governance and noted that lack of enforcement of disciplinary actions has become worrisome to the party.
