Our party full of injustice –PDP chair, Mu’azu

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic
Party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, came hard on the
political party on Tuesday, saying it was “full of
injustice.”
He said this was one of the reasons some PDP
members defected to opposition political parties
like the All Progressives Congress, the Labour
Party and the All Progressive Grand Alliance.
Mu’azu spoke at the inauguration of the Senator
Amodu Ali-led PDP Presidential Campaign
Organisation in Abuja.
The event, which was held at the Legacy Building,
Maitama, was attended by President Goodluck
Jonathan, a few governors and members of the
National Working Committee of the party.
Mu’azu, who received a standing ovation from the
guests after his speech, turned to Jonathan and
said, “Mr. President, I want you to discuss with
your governors, senators, members of the House of
Representatives and other elected officials.
“We say that members of the PDP should not be
used and dumped again. People leave the party
because of lack of equity or injustice.
“Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop. That must
stop. This time round, monkey must work and
monkey must eat.
“A lot of people who left (our party) did so because
of injustice in our party. The party is full of
injustice.
“The membership of the APC, LP, APGA and others
are increasing because of this. All these members
are from our party. We must find out what is
wrong and correct it.”
As soon as he said this, the gathering stood up
and clapped for him.
Before then, Mu’azu had called on the opposition
to limit their campaigns to issues and not religion,
tribe and trivial matters.
Responding, Jonathan told Mu’azu that he was
aware that there were issues arising from the PDP
primaries.
He said while the members of the party must come
together to resolve them, he stressed that it must
be clear to all that there must always be losers.
The President added that there were other political
offices which, according to him, were available
during and after elections.
He appealed to PDP governors to unite in ensuring
that the party won the general elections .
On the February 14 presidential election, Jonathan
said his government had done a lot to improve the
quality of lives of Nigerians, including the youth .
He said that at the appropriate time, his opponents
would tell Nigerians what they did while in
government.
The President said, “They will tell Nigerians how
many nursery schools they built while in
government. When the time reaches, we will speak
out.
“Those who want to form a parallel government
should continue to think like that. We are waiting
for them. Anyone who causes trouble will be dealt
with.”
He warned members of the party against joining
issues with those he said might want to cause
trouble in the country.
He said, “Some other politicians and campaigners
are threatening fire and brimstone. Do not join
them.
“Some other parties are pulling down other
people’s posters. That is primitive. Please, do not
join them. Every Nigerian must be free to
campaign anywhere.”
The President charged those who would be
responsible for his campaign to be civil, decorous
and law-abiding.
He said he had already promised Nigerians and the
international community that the elections would
be free, fair, credible and violence-free.
The President said, “Without doubt, the
forthcoming elections will mark a critical point in
our nation’s history. The eyes of the international
community are focused on the transition that lies
ahead of us; the fifth post-military rule general
elections that will be conducted under a civilian
dispensation in Nigeria.
“The world is asking: will Nigeria get it right? My
categorical response to that is: Yes, we must. And
surely, we will. It is your duty to ensure that
through your campaigns, and activities, this
primary objective is not lost.
“Our commitment to free, fair, credible, and
violence-free elections remains unshaken. That
should also be your own commitment as we go to
the field to seek the people’s mandate once
again.”
He asked members of the campaign committee to
always remember that the PDP belonged to
democrats.
The President added, “You must always remember
that we are a party of democrats, not a party of
hooligans. We are a party of patriots, not a party of
renegades.
“We are a party of statesmen and women. We are
a party of builders and not destroyers. We are a
party of committed servants of the people.
“You must let our people see once again, that we
are in this to serve and to move Nigeria forward,
not to move Nigeria backwards.”
In his acceptance speech, Ali said he was sure that
marketing the candidacy of President won’t be a
problem.
Calling on Nigerians to vote for Jonathan, he
wondered why an opposition came up with an
“octogenarian in this period when the world is
moving toward the younger ones.”
None of the opposition party presidential
candidates, including Maj. Gen. Muhammadu
Buhari of the APC, is an octogenarian. Buhari is
72.
Making a mockery of the broom, the symbol of the
APC, Ali said, “Never has it happened that a
sweeper would become a king in the same palace
where he sweeps. Not even with or without
certificate.”
In his speech, the Chairman of the Board of
Trustees of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, asked the
members of the PCO to work hard in order to win
the elections.
Anenih said, “The presidential candidates of other
parties cannot boast about any achievements in
our democratic journey since they have not got the
experience.
“So, I expect that Nigerians will prefer continuity of
this administration’s robust Transformation Agenda
to the so-called change just to satisfy some
personal and narrow interests.
“Now, as we all know, the presidential election is
the first in the series of elections scheduled by
INEC to hold on February 14 along with the
National Assembly elections.
“What this means is that we must work
assiduously to win the best prize, which is the
presidential election. Once we do that, the victory
will expectedly have a bandwagon effect on the
February 28 governorship and state Houses of
Assembly elections.”
Others who spoke at the event were the Senate
President, David Mark, and the Governor of Akwa
Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio.
Both described the President as a good product.