The recent endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan by
the leadership of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the party’s
presidential candidate in the February 2015 election, shutting out other
possible aspirants on the same platform, has continued to receive
divergent reactions.
While some respondents who spoke with BD SUNDAY described
the development as a mature democratic process, others see it as a rape
on democracy.
Dauda Birmah, a former presidential aspirant and member of
the Femi Okurounmu-led Presidential Dialogue Committee, said the
endorsement was in sync with the first law of nature which is
self-preservation, as, according to him, it will enable the party to
avoid a volatile presidential primary on December 6.
“Our interpretation of democracy may not be the same with
other people outside Nigeria, but even in America, during the
re-election of Barrack Obama, did any member of Democratic Party, his
party, contest against him at the primary? The party just decided to
return him and that was it. Now, whether anyone likes it or not,
whatever may be your interpretation of President Jonathan’s
administration, he remains a member and leader of the PDP that is in
government. So, for PDP to say that they will not endorse him means they
have no confidence in him, and if they have no confidence in him, how
would they expect other Nigerians to have confidence in him? The party
wants to remain intact by avoiding allowing other persons to contest the
primaries with the incumbent. The greatest threat to a party is when
there are dissenting voices and during primaries where people align
forces with various aspirants, but the party says, No, we still believe
in our candidate,” Birmah said.
‘It is not illogical. A party looks for easiest means of
survival at all times. And it is said that the first law of nature is
self-preservation. Now that the party has decided to endorse him, it has
to look at those who may have same ambition and dialogue with them, and
carry them along. There’s nothing strange about it,” he further said.
However, Tam David-West, a professor and former Petroleum
minister in the military era, described the endorsement as undemocratic.
“First, I am not a pretender. I take a stand on national
issues without minding whose ox is gored. PDP is taking a very dangerous
step. I don’t support Jonathan for second term. This is not about
constitutional right, everybody has constitutional right and anybody can
claim to have constitutional right to stand election. Are you not
surprised that a sitting president, up till now, is vacillating on
whether or not to run; he does not have the confidence to say that he
wants to re-contest, only by his body language. What PDP has done is
undemocratic. What it should have done is to allow all those with
ambition in that regard to go for the primary and let the right person
emerge by popular opinion. Sule Lamido who wanted to contest has been
coerced to throw in the towel; he has finished himself,” David-West
said.
Olisa Agbakoba, a former president of Nigerian Bar
Association (NBA) and a delegate at the recently concluded National
Conference, said that the presidential election is going to be business
as usual where there will be no challenge from any quarter against the
PDP. For him, what has happened is just a reflection of lack of credible
opposition or alternative.
“It is a great disappointment that the clap seems to be
happening with one hand. I do not see two hands. When it is only one
hand, the clap will not be good. President Jonathan is not facing
opposition. He needs to face opposition. He needs to be challenged by
issues. The result is going to be business as usual,” Agbakoba said.
President Jonathan inherited the Presidency in 2010
following the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua after a protracted
illness. Jonathan from the South-South in the oil-rich Niger Delta went
ahead to win the 2011 presidential poll.
Last Thursday, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of
PDP had endorsed him as its sole presidential candidate; this came a day
after the governors on the party’s platform had unanimously adopted
him.
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