PDP remains the party to beat, says Jonathan

Paris - President Goodluck Jonathan has said
that the crisis rocking the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) notwithstanding, it
remains a party to beat in the country.
The President made the disclosure on Saturday in
Paris in an interview he granted to the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and France 24 Radio.
The President granted the interview shortly before
departing Paris to Abuja at the close of a two-day
summit on peace and security in Africa, hosted by
President Francois Hollande of France.
Jonathan was reacting to the recent defection of
some of the seven aggrieved governors of the
PDP to the opposition All Progressive Congress
(APC).
He said that while the party would continue to
pursue the paths of reconciliation, the move by
the governors would not hamper the success of
the PDP in future elections.
"We want those governors to come back to PDP,
but in an event where some of them feel it is
better outside, they can also go and try.
"We will work harder to make sure that we get
more supporters so that at the end of the day,
that equilibrium will be maintained.
"But I still believe that in Nigeria today, PDP is
still the party to beat.
"As they are leaving the ruling party to the
opposition, there are other key political actors
who are ready to come to PDP.
"At the appropriate time, we will also receive
them."
The President said that "the game of politics is
dynamic and a governor elected by the people
must not see himself as a king who can lord
himself over the electorate.
"I was elected by Nigerians and I will not say
because I am the President of Nigeria now, 100
per cent of Nigerians are for me and when I am
moving to the left or right I will be moving with the
whole 100 per cent.
"When you are moving you should know that you
are an individual, not all your supporters will want
to move with you.
"They are not your employees, therefore, some of
your supporters might stay."
Jonathan hinted that "in some cases, the deputy
governors in the states are saying they are not
ready to move.
"It will be an interesting thing, and I have said that
let us see how it will play out.
"However, in politics any party will want
everybody in its camp and in PDP we want
everybody."
The President clarified that not all the seven
aggrieved governors have moved to the
opposition party.
He said they have some grievances with the
party and some of them said they were going to
leave.
"But so far, two have openly declared that they
are not leaving the party and we are talking to
them.
"Out of the remaining five, two appears that they
have actually moved to the other political parties,
while some are still on the fence.
"I believe in a couples of weeks, it will not be too
long. it will be very clear whether they are leaving
or not.’’
The seven aggrieved governors are Sule Lamido
(Jigawa), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Rotimi Amaechi
(Rivers) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).
Others are Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Gov.
Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Gov. Aliyu
Wamakko (Sokoto).
Lamido and Aliyu had openly declared that they
were not part of the announced merger of the
group with the APC.