The blame game among top Peoples Democratic Party members continued on Tuesday with the PDP National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, saying praise singers and insincere people misled President Goodluck Jonathan during the electioneering period.
Mu’azu, who is under pressure from some members of the party to resign for not doing enough to boost Jonathan’s chances during electioneering, took to his Twitter handle on Tuesday to defend himself and other members of the party’s National Working Committee.
Insisting that he would not resign, he said those that were praise-singing and insincerely advising” the President during the campaign period were responsible for the PDP defeat in the March 28 election.
The PDP chairman also said the low perception of the President and the PDP in the North was partly responsible for the low votes they garnered from the region.
Mu’azu, who is a former Governor of Bauchi State, stated that he could not have convinced the people of the region to vote for Jonathan.
He said, “The perception of Jonathan and our party in the North was at an all time low because of the lies the people were told by politicians.
“Those who blame us for not delivering maximum votes to the President in the North seem to have forgotten that it is the people who vote.”
Mu’azu denied allegations that he conspired with the All Progressives Congress to ensure that the Presidency was returned to the North.
He said he had been a member of the PDP since 1999 and had helped the party to remain in power for 16 years.
To him therefore, it is unfair for anyone to accuse him of tribalism. He said in the face of insult and ridicule, he continued to support Jonathan till the end.
He said, “I have repeatedly reminded many that I, Adamu Mu’azu, has been in the PDP since 1999 as a matter of principle and strong ideology.
“Those who insinuate that I did not do my best for our great party and Mr. President during the elections are being economical with the truth.
“In the face of abuse, insult and open ridicule by our friends and brothers, we supported our leader, President Jonathan, faithfully.
“I gave my best and my all to the campaign of Mr. President and the party. We went to every state in Nigeria to campaign.”
The PDP chairman stressed that those calling for his resignation alongside other NWC members were the ones that contributed to Jonathan and PDP’s defeat.
He said, “For those wishing that I will either defect or resign, I advise you to kindly stop the wishful thinking. We have a party to lead.
“Those who are seeking change in the entire NWC were the same who brought us to this level with their insincerity and praise-singing.
“We are committed to repositioning our great party, the PDP, and we will provide able leadership by restoring its glory.”
Mu’azu urged all Nigerians to support the PDP as democracy cannot thrive without a formidable opposition.
He however called on all members of the party to sheathe their swords and work with him to reposition the PDP.
But as he twitted, Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, who is one of those calling for the resignation of the NWC members, said he had evidence that Mu’azu helped the APC to win the elections on March 28 and April 11.
Fayose, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, wondered how the PDP could lose woefully in Bauchi State where Mu’azu, Governor Isa Yuguda and the Minister for the FCT, Bala Mohammed, hail from.
He said, “How do we explain the PDP losing so scandalously in Bauchi State despite the presence of the National Chairman, the FCT Minister and the state governor?
“I am even more particular about the national chairman because he sold the party to the opposition. I have cogent evidence of his unholy alliance with the opposition before the elections and if they go any further, I will expose all his underhand deals.
“I want to say it again that I have no apology for calling for the resignation of the NWC members, especially the national chairman. After all, someone resigned his position as the national chairman for Alhaji Mu’azu to assume office.”
The governor said in saner climes, Mu’azu would have been made to resign, adding that a general who leads his men to defeat should not be allowed to be in charge again.
He also berated the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, for claiming that governorship aspirants were given about N100m each to campaign.
Metuh had also blamed Jonathan’s campaign team and overzealous supporters for the defeat of Jonathan and the PDP.
He specifically mentioned hate campaign against Buhari, who he said was revered in the North as a contributory factor for PDP’s poor performance in the region.
Fayose had spearheaded a series of controversial campaigns against Buhari before the elections.
However, Fayose said it was unfortunate that the NWC could indirectly accuse him of contributing to Jonathan’s defeat.
The governor said all he received from the PDP during the June 21, 2014 governorship election and the March 28 and April 11, 2015 elections was N30m.
He said, “I have no apology on my position on the NWC because their responsibility as a party does not take away their failure in the last general elections.
“Only N30m was received for the last two elections and to the glory of the Almighty God and support of Ekiti people, we won all elections outright. I therefore demand the mode with which money was released to me by the NWC.” – Punch.
