APC Governors Forum Cautions Jonathan Against Leaving PDP

The Director-General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, PGF, Salihu Moh’d Lukman, has cautioned President Goodluck Jonathan against leaving the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for the All Progressives Congress, APC, saying such move would diminish his political stature as an elder statesman.

Lukman, a close confidant of Governor Nasir El-Rufai and an influential voice in the APC spoke against increasing speculations of the defection of the former president to the APC.

Lukman said: “Part of the reason high-profile membership recruitments by political parties in Nigeria attract a lot of debate, attention, and controversy, is that it hardly comes without any ambition to contest election by those joining the party.

“As Nigerians, we must begin to take steps to protect our leaders. As APC members, we have campaigned against former President Jonathan in 2015. As President, former President Jonathan made every effort to block the emergence of APC in 2013.

“But those should not be the reference point. The reference point should be the historic decision of former President Jonathan to concede defeat in 2015 even before the final votes were counted.

“With that, former President Jonathan ranked himself as one of those who fought and defended Nigeria’s democracy. On no account therefore, should any political party be allowed to push former President Jonathan to diminish his stature, either as an aspirant or a candidate for any office.

“Doing so will mean that we want him to gamble away all his legendary achievements.

“It is sad enough that PDP leaders, being who they are, don’t recognise and respect former President Jonathan’s deserved political stature.

“No doubt, every speculation about the possibility of former President Jonathan joining the APC has to do with the reality of being unappreciated by PDP leadership.

“Negotiating to bring him into APC should not be based on aspiring for any office. It must be recognised that former President Jonathan, and indeed every former President, is beyond holding any office in the land. Bringing former presidents to that level will amount to diminishing their political stature.

More Reasons For Cautioning Jonathan Against Leaving PDP For APC

“Already, President Buhari is doing excellently well by delegating some high-profile diplomatic responsibilities to former President Jonathan.

“One of the failures of PDP is the inability to create responsibilities that can match the statures of former Presidents. Inability to create responsibilities for former Presidents is perhaps what accounts for the overbearing restlessness of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“With President Buhari scheduled to end his tenure in 2023, less than two years away, negotiations to recruit former President Jonathan into APC must be used to settle the question of the roles of former Presidents within the APC.

“APC must not allow the situation to emerge whereby party leaders and members only respect elected and appointed functionaries.

“Part of the lessons from the challenges created under the last National Working Committee led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole had to do with the absence of Board of Trustees.

“Is it possible therefore to organise the APC Board of Trustees’ and get former Presidents to provide the needed moral leadership that can serve as a check to both party leaders and elected functionaries of the party?

“Having former Presidents discharging persuasive moral responsibilities as leaders of Board of Trustees would strengthen the capacity of party leaders and members to influence decisions of elected functionaries.

“Just imagine two former serving Presidents of the standings of President Buhari and former President Jonathan working in harmony towards a common political goal. It will take a rascally elected functionary at whatever level to ignore their recommendations.”

Send Us A Press Statement Advertise With Us Contact Us

 And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG