After Flawed Bayelsa Poll, Jonathan Commends PDP Leaders

President Goodluck Jonathan is unfazed by torrent of criticisms that has greeted the recent actions of National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in conducting last Saturday’s governorship primary in Bayelsa State. The President actually commended the national leadership of PDP for the way it has been handling the affairs of the party at a meeting in Aso Rock Presidential Villa today asking them not to be intimidated if they are convinced that what they are doing is in accordance to due process.

The President spoke when he received Abubakar Kawu Baraje, Acting National Chairman, PDP and some other members of NWC at the Presidential Villa today. The party men were at the presidential villa to felicitate with the president on the occasion of his 54th birthday. They presented a card and a letter to the President.

“I want to use this opportunity to commend you for what you have been doing. It is a phase in Nigerian history; this government will be like a transitional phase in Nigerian history. It is always difficult for people to appreciate things. I notice that in the Nigerian political environment, people feel that a leader of the party must always influence the decision of the party. So, influencing the decision of the party now becomes a norm. You made reference to the election, I always say my state, Bayelsa has always been a PDP state from 1999. I commend the party, continue to follow due process and don’t be intimidated by anybody as long as you are on the right course. And I believe PDP will lead the country to where Nigerians want it to be,” the President told his visitors.

On its part, the PDP attempted to justify the holding on the Bayelsa governorship primary last Saturday. The party said contrary to the impression being created by the media, there was no injunction against the holding of the primaries.

“There was no injunction, what the party had was a motion on notice, it was not an order to stop anything, it was a motion on notice asking the party to explain why certain prayers in that court papers should not be granted by the court and that we should show reasons. We were able to show reasons why we should go ahead. It was not an injunction, it was not an order, it was not anything stopping our party, we are a due process party, if the order had come and say stop, we will stop but that order was not to stop us,” the party said.

On the demand by the embattled Governor Timipre Sylva that the party should make public his alleged sin, the PDP acting chairman said the Governor knows the reasons he was barred from the primaries and if he is not interested in making them public, the party will also not make them public. He added that the issue is also an internal affair of the party : “It is the party’s internal affair. If the governor wants to make it public, he can make it public. If he is saying the party has not told him what he has done, it means he doesn’t want to make it public and the party is not interested in making it public. All I know is that in accordance with the law, the party has the right to present whoever is convenient to the party and that is what we have done.”