Niger Delta Youths said PDP lack of internal democracy FOR mass defection Blame Mu’azu, Govs For GEJ's Woes
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Adamu Mu’azu, and governors elected on the platform of the party are taking serious heat from Niger Delta youths over the poor rating of President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the general elections.
The youths, under the aegis of the Niger Delta Youth Parliament (NDYP), on Monday through it National Coordinator, Mr. Imoh Okoko said the imposition of candidates by the PDP governors and the lack of internal democracy within the party was responsible for the mass defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Okoko, who spoke with Punch correspondent in a telephone interview reveal that the entire Niger Delta region was worried that the manipulations by Mu’azu and the second-term governors had adversely affected the political fortunes of President Jonathan.
He further hinted that the outgoing governors were only interested in supporting their successors and not the success of the party’s presidential candidate at the election.
“We, the youths in the Niger Delta, are worried about the electoral fortunes of President Goodluck Jonathan. He is our brother and we want him re-elected, but the national chairman (of the PDP) and the PDP outgoing governors are not interested in that. While the PDP governors are interested in the victory of those to succeed them, the national chairman of the party has not been able to stop the injustice in the PDP. Remember that Mu’azu said earlier that there was injustice in the PDP, but he has not been able to do anything about it,” Okoko said.
The national coordinator while speaking on the popularity of the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari acknowledged that he (Buhari) seems to be gaining more ground.
“Buhari’s popularity appears to be increasing every day because of what is happening in the PDP. All of us are worried, but there is nothing we can do. There is no internal democracy in the PDP and the party appears to have lost its popularity. The outgoing governors do not wish Jonathan well. The national chairman, who says he is a game changer has messed everything up. He has given enormous power to the PDP governors and they (governors) are imposing candidates on members of the party. President Jonathan is a good person, but those around him are feeding him with lies,” he said.
However, while the national chairman of the PDP is being accused of causing Jonathan’s woes, he in turn is taking a swipe at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Boss, Prof. Attahiru Jega, saying he was never ready for the elections.
Recall that Mu’azu, recently responded to a famous saying, referring to the party’s presidential candidate Goodluck Jonathan and his administration as the “devil.”
