Nigeria’s Former President Goodluck Jonathan said on Tuesday that Nigerians still believed strongly in the capacity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to lead the country.
Jonathan spoke at the expanded National Caucus of the PDP which held on Monday night at Wadata House, Abuja, adding that this was demonstrated with reactions by Nigerians to the Supreme Court judgment on the party’s leadership crisis on Wednesday.
He urged members of the party to channel towards building the party.
He said: “Nigerians still believe in the PDP because when the Supreme Court judgment was given, I was so surprised because some people called and sent text messages to me.
“They are not even politicians but they are so happy that PDP has come on stream because they were worried that PDP will go down.
“So, if people who are not even members of PDP are so happy that PDP has now gotten a platform to operate in spite of the negative propaganda against us, it means people still believe in PDP.
“PDP is a party that Nigerians still believe in.”
While appealing to party members to come together and rebuild the party, Jonathan assured that many people who stepped aside from the party as a result of its leadership crisis would return.
“The first thing we need to do is to rebuild the party because when the party is strong, everything will be added to that.
“Whether you have individual or group interest, as a politician, you must serve. These are very basic things, but first and foremost, we must strengthen the party.
“Let us cooperate with the Caretaker Committee and make sure that PDP is very cohesive. And when that happens, people who stepped aside may step back.
“We may not even need to go on a voyage of discovery to discover people. But they, themselves will come back because a strong party acts like a magnet.
“It will attract all the people that are interested,” he said.
Also the Chairman of the PDP National Caretaker Committee, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, said only a miracle would stop PDP from regaining power in 2019.
Makarfi said the meeting was convened to chart the way forward for the party.
“We call this caucus before the meeting of other organs. You are our party leaders.
“Immediately judgment was delivered, I said no victor nor vanquished, and we mean it.
“It does not mean taking what belong to people and giving to a few people.”
While speaking at the meeting, The Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ forum, Ayodele Fayose, urged party members and leaders to return to the “home” and mobilise Nigerians at the grassroots.
He said: “If this party must win, if PDP must get the confidence of Nigerians, if this party must be restored, our leaders must go back home and work.”
The Deputy President of the Senate, Mr. Ike Ekweremadu, said the Lord gave PDP the victory because He loves Nigerian.
He said that the time has come for the party to work together and deliver good governance to the country.
“Time to work is now; we must go back to the drawing board. We must not disappoint Nigerians. It is time for fence-mending and reconstructing Nigeria for real change.
Nigeria, PDP, APC, all have no mekwatism! Oil and can never mix, no matter the structure into which they are put.