Things are not heard enough with series of regrets being poured on erstwhile president Goodluck Jonathan, one of its kind was the recent disclaimer coming from the former National
Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, yesterday
said the ease with which he was removed from the party was because former
president Goodluck Jonathan couldn’t protect him from the dominating influence
the PDP governors wield.
The elder
statesman who featured in Kaduna-based Liberty Radio’s programme, ‘Guest of the
Week,’ pointed out that certain people in the party didn’t want him to practice
internal democracy that he was preaching which led to his removal.
While however
exonerating the former president of complicity in his removal, Tukur said,
“Jonathan did not insist I leave the party, there are people in the PDP who
felt I should not practice what I preach because discipline is very important.
Following the laws you established is very important. When you don’t, then you
have problems.
“President
Jonathan could not protect me due to the powers of the governor. The governors
are very powerful and therefore, if you do not do what they want, you are done
away with and I believe nothing can be done to them.
”I was accused of
being a virus in PDP and I did not deny it; I told them I am a virus for good
governance, virus for internal democracy, virus for equity and justice. I hope
that virus will continue,” he said.
He also blamed
his party’s defeat at the 2015 general election to its inability to deliver on
promises, pointing out that the emergence of the All Progressives Congress
(APC) at the centre was a desire for an alternative to a failed party.
According to him,
“democracy is government of the people by the people for the people. So, if the
PDP fails to deliver on its promises, people will go to the alternative. Change
is always good, provided it is going to bring better alternative.”
He said the APC
allowed the democratic system to prevail by allowing the people choose their
leaders through elections.
Speaking further,
the former PDP Chairman commended the leadership style of President Muhammadu
Buhari and asked Nigerians to allow the president as he leads the nation at his
calculated pace.
“I salute
Muhammadu Buhari because he has integrity. He believes in discipline, he
believes in fighting corruption and believes in good governance because the
only way we can go forward and be respected in the comity of nations is by
coming together and carrying our people along,” he said.