Outgoing Nigerian President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has declared that if members of the crumbling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) remain committed to the vision of its founding fathers and work very hard, the party will return to power at the Federal level in 2019.
Speaking after receiving the report of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation at the Presidential Villa, President Jonathan said that the party already had all that it will require to win the 2019 elections, but needed to return to the drawing board to re-strategise for the future.
President Jonathan receiving the Report of the PDPPCO on the 2015 Presidential Election from DG PDPPCO - Dr Ali
President Jonathan receiving the Report of the PDPPCO on the 2015 Presidential Election from DG PDPPCO - Dr Ali
“Whatever happened was like a slip. You don’t need to travel to America to know how power moves from the Republicans to the Democrats and from the Democrats to the Republicans.
“You can even go to Ghana that is very close to us. The present administration lost some years back and of course they came back, and won the elections. So the problem is not whether we lost or won elections, which is already history, but how we can reconsolidate our party.
“If we are committed and we work hard, definitely the PDP will spring back,” Jonathan told members of the party’s Presidential Campaign Organisation.
Noting that the outcome of future elections will be determined by the party’s preparedness, the President urged members of the party to be more united and remain loyal to the party.
“We must continue to be united as a party. And continue to work hard so that as we move towards subsequent elections in 2019 and 2023, PDP will come out stronger.
“Let’s not judge PDP by the results of the presidential elections, because in some of the States where we saw the PDP score so low, it was probably due to problems within the PDP.
"The party will come back stronger. PDP is still the most organised party. PDP is still the party that nobody owns. PDP is still the party that whoever you are, you can get to any level that you aspire to through competence. I encourage members of our party to remain faithful and not be disillusioned," the President said.
In his remarks at the occasion, the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Sen. Ahmadu Ali, commended President Jonathan for putting the nation before his personal ambition.
“Our great party will emerge from this debacle stronger, wiser and prouder. Even in defeat, we are able to impart some valuable lessons on the Nigerian electorate.
“This is the first time in the history of this country that a sitting Government has handed over power peacefully to an opposition party after an election. We are proud of you,’’ he told President Jonathan.