President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday assured members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that they would be free to aspire to any position in 2015 without having to rely on any a ‘godfather’.
He also said the leadership of the party at all levels would not impose candidate but give room for a free and fair contest to produce the party’s flag bearers.
The President gave these assurances at the Ilorin Metropolitan Square, Kwara state, while welcoming defecting key figures in the state into the PDP.
The rally organized to formally received the defectors who include Muhammed Dele Belgore, Ms Gbemisola Saraki, Princess Bilikisu Gambari, Abdulraham Abdulrasaq, Bunmi Olusonna and Akeem Lawal, was tagged “Freeddom Rally”.
Present were party chieftains including Vice President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, national chairman, Adamu Muazu, Governors Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Liyel Imoke (Cross Rivers), Deputy governor of Kogi state, Yomi Awoniyi, Deputy governor of Sokoto state and Mukthar Shagari.
Others were Minister of Sport, Bolaji Abdullahi, chairman Board of Trustees, Tony Anenih; former national chairmen, Barnabas Gemade, Ahmadu Ali, members of the national working committee and Musiliu Obanikoro.
President Jonathan told the gathering “PDP is not for a dictator because it encompasses of all Nigerians irrespective of his or her status and also has members in every voting unit across the country.
“PDP is not for an individual, it is not for a dictator, there is no more godfatherism and no more imposition in the party we ensured this in order to allow the people to enjoy the dividends of democracy.
“It is the people that matter in politics and not an individual because when you get into politics, you have to think of people who voted for you and not be thinking about yourself
“If you are to get involved in politics, it is your people that matter, not yourself. To get involved in politics, you have to think about your people and not yourself.
“People who think about the people follow the people’s party and PDP is the only people’s party. PDP is the party that even if you go outside Nigeria, you ask which the political parties you have in Nigeria are, you will say PDP and others because it is only in PDP that every polling unit not just wards that you have PDP members.
“We don’t have dictators in PDP. We have people who believe in the people, that is why in PDP we talk about one man, one vote. No more imposition, no more godfatherism.”
President Jonathan said all those elected on the platform of the party have free hand to execute their programmes without interference from any quarters.
He stated further, “I am a President now, I have a governor in my state, I have never controlled him because he was elected by Bayelsans, he has to serve Bayelsans and not Goodluck Jonathan.
“Though we monitor your activities but we will give you the freedom to work. It is only in PDP that the governor serves the people of the states and the President serves Nigeria.
“PDP is the only party that will liberate everybody and a state like Kwara state, it is only PDP that can give you what you want”.
President Jonathan described the Ilorin rally as “liberation rally”, saying it was unique. “So today, this rally is a unique rally, it is a freedom rally, this rally is a rally to liberate everybody and after this rally today every Kwaran son and daughter is free; free to play the politics the way they want it and play the politics the way they want it.
“It is only PDP that can give people freedom; we are here for freedom of our people. We were here in 2011 for the campaign for the general election and we are here today and we have seen the crowd, the turn out are the same if not more. It only means that everybody that matters is in PDP,” Jonathan said.
The President expressed delight at the reception accorded the leadership of the party, saying “We have seen the reception; we have seen the crowd and we are quite elated”.
On e of the defectors and a governorship candidate in 2011 election under the defunct ACN, Dele Belgore, thanked the President for visiting the state to receive them.
