The leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) including President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday formally welcomed a former Governor of Sokoto state, Attahiru Bafarawa, into the party at a rally well attended by party chieftains from across the country.
Bafarawa was elected Governor of Sokoto state in 1999 under the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and later moved to the All Progressives Congress (APC). A couple of weeks ago, Bafarawa dumped the APC for the ruling PDP.
Present at the rally held at the Shehu Kangiwa Square in Sokoto, and attended by a mammoth crowd were Vice President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, national chairman, Adamu Mu’azu and some state governors.
However, conspicuously absent was a son of the soil and House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal.
The national chairman of PDP, Adamu Mu’azu formally received the former governor into the PDP and presented him to President Jonathan and other parties chieftains including, the National Working Committee of the party.
President Jonathan while addressing the crowd said the rally was being held to send a strong signal to the opposition party that the PDP is still very strong in Sokoto state and that with Bafarawa on their side, the party has nothing to fear ahead of 2015.
He said, “Bafarawa joining us with his formidable supporters, with Shagari and other strong politicians here in PDP, Sokoto state is for PDP. We want to use Sokoto as an example to show all others that PDP is still the major party in this country.
“We are going round after this rally in Sokoto state. Next Saturday we will be going to Imo state. The other week, we will go to Kano state. We may also go to other states, but the national committee is also working out our zonal rallies”.
The President said, the party was not in Sokoto to campaign saying “Today, we have come because we need to reassure our great followers in Sokoto and indeed the whole country that PDP is still united, it is still the party to beat, it is still the party that can lead this country to where we want to go.
“Specially, we have come because we have a great son of Sokoto state, a great politician of the state that you know more than I do, a formidable person whom most of the characters that are talking about politics today came through him, and he has seen that the interest of Nigeria as a nation is superior to his own personal interest.
“He believes that if this country gets to crisis, all of us will lose. PDP is the only party that has that vision to lead this country to stability, to lead this country to economic revolution.
“And he and his teeming supporters have today declared for the PDP and to join the party totally and we have come to receive him in your presence, to tell you that in Sokoto state now, we are waiting for the next election, that all people from Sokoto will deliver PDP in all the elections.
“So, when you see Bafarawa and Shagari, you know that in 2007, this is the young man that won the PDP primaries, but for one thing or the other, some adjustments were made. And of course you know this has been your great political leader (Bafarawa) who has run this state and created men and women. So, if you see these two people coming together in PDP, do you have any other party? Where are the others? They are nowhere.
The President challenged those who recently defected to the APC from PDP especially the legislators to test their popularity by relinquishing their seats to contest under their new party.
“In fact, I was telling some people when we were coming in this morning and I saw the crowd left and right that if we were running a parliamentary system where the prime minister will look at the political environment in the country and call for early elections, I would have called for early elections let us see where this noise is coming from, whether they are supported.
“Some people are afraid to go back and contest the seats because in a normal setting, if a parliamentarian leaves his seat and cross to another party, the assumption is that you have consulted your constituency and they agreed that you should cross over.
“Such a parliamentarian would want to call for early elections to show that he is going with his constituency but in Nigeria, the story is different. Well, time will tell,” Jonathan said.
The state tour, the President said is aimed at showcasing the party and its achievements over the year, insisting “The PDP government is the only one that can bring stability; it is the government that obeys the rule of law any day in court, from the smallest court; be it customary court or area court, high court or magistrate or appeal court.
“Whenever they give judgment, we obey. We don’t disobey any judgment. We obey the rule of law; we obey the constitution. We have seen some people disobeying some clear provisions in the constitution and are disobeying with impunity.
“And we believe that this will soon be history. This is the only party that will continue to hold the tenets of democracy. PDP just dey ‘gidigbam’; no shaking. We don’t discriminate based on anything. That is why in every polling unit you go, you see formidable support for this great party.
“You go outside Nigeria and ask, how many political parties you have in Nigeria, they say hmm, PDP and others. So PDP is the symbol of democracy in Nigeria today. And that is why all Nigerians, even those who are not in partisan politics believe in the PDP.
“When they notice certain goings on in PDP that are not so good, everybody get jittery because the feeling is that if anything happens to PDP, it will affect the country. Religious leaders, business leaders men and women who are not partisan politicians believe in PDP because it is the only party that can stabilise this country.
Addressing the crowd, Bafarawa who dumped the APC for PDP assured the President and other chieftains that the party remains strong in Sokoto, saying that the President should not lose sleep ahead of 2015 elections.
“Mr. President, I don’t want to tell you too much stories. As far as Sokoto is concerned, you go and sleep. You don’t have any problem. We have been winning the elections and then we have been rigged out and manipulated out.
“Today we are back to the mainstream of PDP; there is no other party that would get even Councillor in Sokoto, Insha Allahu, except PDP. This is a message I’m delivering on behalf of my people and the entire people of Sokoto State. Mr. President, I want you to go with a clear mind that you don’t have problem in Sokoto State.
“Forget about those who betray you. You are not the first victim; I was the first victim. Everyone in the National Assembly, up to the state level, I helped them to become who they are. But for reasons best known to them, you have seen it today.
“We are joining PDP today, not with councilors, not with House of Assembly members, not with National Assembly members; but we are joining PDP with the people who are going to deliver all the elected officers in 2015. That assurance, I’m assuring you we are going to deliver. If you have any doubt in Bayelsa, and I believe you don’t have any doubt in Bayelsa; so, don’t have any doubt about Sokoto.
“PDP as a party, with the leadership of our great chairman, we are always the amending the constitution. This time around we are going to amend the manifesto of our party. In the last 15 years when PDP was registered, I believe there had not been any amendment attached to the manifesto. Therefore, to see that they are implementing what is the manifesto of our party”.
On the road to 2015, Bafarawa said, “Mr. President with us, by the grace of God, we are going to help you by 2015 if you decide to declare. That is your own personal interest, but if the party decides to give you support and you become the candidate of PDP, I’m assuring you, we are going to work for you for the success of our party.
“Therefore my appeal to all Sokoto people, as I have told you earlier, we joined PDP in principle to build democracy, to build our state and also to build our nation.
The PDP governors present were Godswil Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Babangida Aliyu, Niger; Dakingari, Kebbi; Liyel imoke, Cross Rivers; Seriake Dickson, Bayelsa; Ramalllan Yero, Kaduna; Isa Yuguda, Bauchi; Ibrahim Shema, Katsina and Idris Wada of Kogi.
Also present were Minister of special duties, Taminu Turaki; former defence minister, Bello Haliru, National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, former Niger governor, Kure; former Kogi governor, Ibrahim Idris; former Senate President, Ken Namani among others.
