••• SAYS JONATHAN KEEPING AWAY FROM PDP BECAUSE OF BETRAYAL IN 2015
Ijaw National Leader and Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, has said that the Candidate of the All Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar had been opposing the Presidency of former President Goodluck Jonathan since 2010.
He explained that Atiku had insisted that it was the turn of the North to produce the President at the time and was turned against the Jonathan Presidency.
The Elder Statesman wondered why the save Atiku would now sing a refrain of integrity and competence in 2022.
Clark, spoke when he hosted members of Delta Central APC Leaders of Thought on a solidarity visit in his Asokoro residence in Abuja
“Now, Atiku has been kicking against the presidency of Jonathan since 2010. He said it was their turn but today, the same Atiku and his people now said integrity. Where in Nigeria…all of you here have integrity, competence.” He said
Clark also said that Jonathan had kept away from the Peoples Democratic Party because of the betrayal he suffered from the leadership of the Party in 2015.
He said that the then National Chairman of the PDP Adamu Muazu and the northern Governors worked against Jonathan because they believed it was the turn of the North to produce the President.
He said that Jonathan learned his lessons from the bitter pills of betrayal.
He expressed shock that the Northern PDP Governors who raised funds for the APC Candidate, Muhammadu Buhari at the time to subvert their own Candidate Jonathan are now talking about competence and integrity.
He accused the PDP of manipulating the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the Presidential Candidate of the Party.
Clark who said he had withdrawn his support for the APC because of the Muslim/Muslim ticket of the Party asked his guests to tell the President the need for equality between the majority and the minority in the society.
“Now coming home politically, Jonathan was the President for some time as the result of the death of President Yar’Adua. Jonathan ruled for about five years. He is a Christian and the northerners said it was their turn.
“From 2011, they have been worrying Jonathan. Even in 2015, the northern PDP leaders ganged up with APC, Tinubu and removed Jonathan from office. They did not campaign, Jonathan was on his own.
“So, when people say why Jonathan is not in PDP, not 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 money and left.
“So, when people say why is Jonathan not in PDP, he knows how they betrayed him, how the northern PDP governors contributed money towards Buhari’s success, how members of government betrayed him.
“The national Chairman of PDP at the time was Governor (Adamu) Mu’azu. He did not go to his hometown to campaign, he was only following Jonathan about, he knew what he was doing. Everyone of them wanted Buhari to win. So, Buhari won. He has ruled for eight years.
“Now, the same northerners are now saying competence, no zoning, integrity.
“It fell for the prey, they maneuvered PDP with Alhaji Abubakar who has been wanting to be president of Nigeria over the years, championing the cause of division. So, the PDP, a party we love, PDP a party of southern Nigeria disappointed us.
“In 2019, 11 million people voted for Atiku Abubakar, PDP. Five million from the north, five million from the south. Now he doesn’t think that we ever did anything for him.
“So, Nigeria has changed. If anyone tells you that all is well in Nigeria that person living in a fool’s paradise.
“I’m happy to note that you are members of the ruling party, that is APC and I will give you a message to Mr. President, who is the leader of your party. But we are in the minority but in every society the minority and the majority must live together. We have never seen a community where you have only the majority if that’s the case amongst them some will become minority.
“We are the largest ethnic nationality in Delta State but within you some people are dominating. Because we are alive, we don’t need this society where people are not equal. That’s what Mandela fought for that everybody is equal. People should live in a country where you grow up to do anything God created you do.”
He recalled that the 17 Southern Governors converged at Asaba to take the decision that the Presidency be zoned to the South, and that no Southerner shiujd agree to be running mate to a Nothern candidate, Delta State Governor, Okowa, who hoisted the meeting betrayed the accord.
“Several times we met here and before the PDP had their primary, we met here again and repeated the same thing.
“We didn’t know that our own Governor, who initiated this meeting, if you agreed for a meeting to be held in your house and you backed out thereafter, you have betrayed your colleagues. Isn’t it?
“So, that’s why, one of my cousins called Okowa miscreant.
“So I’m therefore very happy that you are here to give us not me alone our organization your support and they will hear it.
“We have seen that up till today we still believe in the southern presidency. So that is why some of us had said that APC that we never wanted to talk about is the one that has listened to us by zoning presidency to the south.
“Of course, I’m an old man now, I will be 95, I no longer belong to political party. Perhaps if I were to vote, and you put only two parties, that is APC and PDP, I will vote for APC for zoning the presidency to the south, listening to our opinion.
“Who is Atiku? Who thinks that he is very, very important that people like us when we speak, he will not listen. A good leader must be one that will listen to us. So, if he becomes president what will he do?”
“But the only thing that your party has done that has made me to withdraw my support is this Muslim-Muslim ticket. I won’t talk about it, because I have written a statement.” He said
