The Presidency on Wednesday took a
swipe at the Abubakar Baraje faction of the Peoples Democratic Party for
referring to President Goodluck Jonathan’s purported 2015
ambition as a “third term from the back door.”
The Presidency said the New
PDP’s position was based on ignorance and therefore advised Baraje
to consult his lawyers in order to understand what the 1999
Constitution says on the tenure of a President.
It also stated that the Baraje
faction’s visit to the National Assembly showed that it was not
ready for peace.
Baraje, during a visit to the
Senate President, Senator David Mark, on Tuesday, said that Jonathan wanted a
third term from back door.
The factional chairman, who was
accompanied on the visit by the seven governors in the New PDP, had demanded
“the reversal of the dissolution of the party’s executives in Rivers and
Adamawa states; conduct of a fresh convention of the party; removal
of Dr. Bamanga Tukur as the national chairman of the PDP; and total
objection to third term for President Jonathan from the back door.”
But the Special Adviser to the
President on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, told one of our
correspondents in Abuja, that “Baraje spoke out of
ignorance.”
“He (Baraje) should consult his
lawyers so that he can be properly enlightened on what the constitution of
Nigeria says on the tenure of the President,” Gulak said.
The presidential aide added
that he pitied the New
PDP leader’s
predicament because he had allowed himself to be misled by governors who are
pursuing personal agenda.
He said, “As a matter of fact, he is
not the party chairman and he knows this. There are places and when party
chairmen are elected. I pity him because as a stakeholder in the party, he had
allowed those pursuing selfish agenda to mislead him. It is unfortunate. My
advice for him is to retrace his steps.”
Gulak argued that the decision
of the seven aggrieved governors and other members of the New PDP to visit the
National Assembly despite the ceasefire announced at the end of
their Sunday meeting with the President, was a proof that
they were not ready to embrace peace.
He said although they embarked
on the visit with a view to scoring cheap political points, they failed
woefully in their bid.
According to him, the
embarrassment they suffered at the National Assembly was enough for them to
have a rethink in the propagation of what he called their selfish agenda.
He said, “The aggrieved governors led
by their leader, Baraje, embarked on that visit to the National Assembly to
score cheap political point but they have failed woefully.
“They were told the gospel truth. The
President of the Senate (David Mark) told them that he stands by party unity.
They embarked on that visit contrary to what was resolved at the Sunday meeting
that all parties should stay action.
“They decided to jump the gun. That
was a proof that they are not sincerely committed to peace. They are desperate
in their bid to drag the people to join their selfish agenda.
“The National Assembly is however an
open place. They are free to visit but the embarrassment they suffered there
was enough for them to have a rethink.”
But the New PDP insisted on
Wednesday that Jonathan’s 2015 ambition was similar to former President
Olusegun Obasanjo’s third term project.
It said through its National
Youth Leader, Timi Frank, that it was sensitising
Nigerians to Jonathan’s “third term.”
The New PDP said, “What we are saying
is that if the President chooses to run in 2015, it will be like the third term
which Obasanjo wanted to smuggle into the 1999 Constitution.
“What we are doing is to
sensitise Nigerians. There is no difference between what Obasanjo wanted to do
and what the President wants to do if he runs in 2015. We are all
about good governance, we are not going to be discouraged, we are the authentic
PDP. Make no mistake about it. We stand by our terms.”
The group said the fact that
Gulak scored only 35 votes in the last election in Adamawa State
showed that he lacked political clout.
The faction said, “He is
always making utterances that will get the President into trouble. He is
priming the President against Nigerians because Nigerians today are totally
against the policies of the President; they are totally against the President’s
style of leadership politically in this country.
“Our leadership that went to the
National Assembly was made up of credible people; the
governors are respected in Nigeria. Our National Chairman, Baraje
.did far better than Tukur and we expected him (Tukur) to learn from the
enviable records of Baraje, who was the chairman of the PDP
long before him.”
Tags
Politics
Gulak or what do u call ur name,u are talking abt disgrace is it dat man 4rm Bayelsa dat was shouting n behaving lik a thug is disgrace they got or d married woman dat is so shameless fighting is d disgrace by d tym d new pdp of abt 97 rep n 139 APC rep come togeda at lower house n 50 senators of d new pdp n dat of APC come togeda we will know who is been disgrace n who will be begging not to be impeached even d senate president n speakers are against d presidency if not they will not haf allowed d visitations.Let's just wait d end will justify d means
ReplyDeleteDis Raphael can't u just get busy,your comments are pure ignorance and I see u as a boy dat grew up as a destitute. U are serzly seeking relevance like the likes of Amechi. U wil soon quench cos of GEJ,Hahaha. The new pdp are fighting for their own selfish interest. Go to www.sunnewsonline.com and read David Mark's statement 2 dem. If u don't have a job try and create one 4 yourself, na beg I dey beg u cos you are becoming a heavy nuisance.
ReplyDeleteShut up. Ralph is right your jona is behaving like a mad dog.
DeletePdp problem is jona and his tukur.
Dont mind him, he doesnt knw what he's sayin. Badluck family....
ReplyDeleteJonathan need to put on another thinking cap cos I know the 1 is using now has expired
ReplyDelete@Rapheal or whatever he calls his name, is just a disguized name but non of you guyz understands him, but I do.the way and manner he comments alone is enough to tell us who he is!sorry for you cos tym shall tell. 2011's election is enughed to tell you that Nigerians re not fools coz we already knows what the Northerners re up to in this country. If only the few Northerns states left, think they can win election base on all these nonsense that they have inflicting in EGJ' adminisration, we shall see how is going to help them.
ReplyDelete