Dokpesi and Jonathan
Says adoption of ex- president was joint decision
From TAIWO AMODU, Abuja
Ahead of today’s national conference of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders aimed at repositioning the main opposition party, its national working committee has dismissed remarks attributed to the chairman of the conference planning committee, Dr Raymond Dokpesi. Addressing newsmen on Tuesday, Dokpesi had attributed the party’s dismal performance in the 2015 general elections to the adoption of Dr Goodluck Jonathan as sole presidential candidate.
The chairman of Daar Communications further noted that the emergence of the former president in 2011 and 2015, negated the zoning principle enshrined in the PDP constitution.
Dokpesi had said: “The party in 2010 and 2011 made the first round of mistake of not allowing the North to complete its term. That was when the party gave a special favour for the then President, who came to complete the term of Yar’Adua, to be allowed one term to finish.
“The same small leaders of the party came forward in 2015, to state again and refused to allow the North to field the party’s presidential candidate. They manipulated the party to do the same.”
But in his reaction yesterday, in Abuja, the national publicity scribe of the erstwhile ruling party, Olisa Metuh, dismissed Dokpesi’s remarks as personal opinion.
He told newsmen that the party chieftain was not a member of any of the statutory organs of the PDP and could not speak for the party. Metuh said: “ That statement made by Chief Raymond Dokpesi is his
personal opinion and does not represent in any way, an official position of the PDP. In the first place, Dokpesi is not a member of the national executive of the PDP and he can only speak in his personal capacity; and his opinion remains personal and does not represent that of the party.
“The decision to field former President, Jonathan, in the 2015 presidential race was approved by the National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Council (NEC) and the party’s national caucus. In addition, the constitution of party allows a sitting president chance to exercise his personal right to run for a second term, if he so desires.
“This is not the time for buck passing or blame game. We are repositioning our party. What we should do is to join hands to reposition PDP based on the report of the Senator Ike Ekwerenmadu committee, to reclaim the party’s lost glory. This is what is expected of us all at this time.” Asked whether PDP regretted its action, Metuh stressed that the decision to field Jonathan was taken by all organs of the party.
“How can you regret a decision taken, where everyone was there – the NWC, NEC and the national caucus?
What are we talking about? Everybody was conscious of the decision. Nobody was coerced into supporting the position.”
From TAIWO AMODU, Abuja
Ahead of today’s national conference of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders aimed at repositioning the main opposition party, its national working committee has dismissed remarks attributed to the chairman of the conference planning committee, Dr Raymond Dokpesi. Addressing newsmen on Tuesday, Dokpesi had attributed the party’s dismal performance in the 2015 general elections to the adoption of Dr Goodluck Jonathan as sole presidential candidate.
The chairman of Daar Communications further noted that the emergence of the former president in 2011 and 2015, negated the zoning principle enshrined in the PDP constitution.
Dokpesi had said: “The party in 2010 and 2011 made the first round of mistake of not allowing the North to complete its term. That was when the party gave a special favour for the then President, who came to complete the term of Yar’Adua, to be allowed one term to finish.
“The same small leaders of the party came forward in 2015, to state again and refused to allow the North to field the party’s presidential candidate. They manipulated the party to do the same.”
But in his reaction yesterday, in Abuja, the national publicity scribe of the erstwhile ruling party, Olisa Metuh, dismissed Dokpesi’s remarks as personal opinion.
He told newsmen that the party chieftain was not a member of any of the statutory organs of the PDP and could not speak for the party. Metuh said: “ That statement made by Chief Raymond Dokpesi is his
personal opinion and does not represent in any way, an official position of the PDP. In the first place, Dokpesi is not a member of the national executive of the PDP and he can only speak in his personal capacity; and his opinion remains personal and does not represent that of the party.
“The decision to field former President, Jonathan, in the 2015 presidential race was approved by the National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Council (NEC) and the party’s national caucus. In addition, the constitution of party allows a sitting president chance to exercise his personal right to run for a second term, if he so desires.
“This is not the time for buck passing or blame game. We are repositioning our party. What we should do is to join hands to reposition PDP based on the report of the Senator Ike Ekwerenmadu committee, to reclaim the party’s lost glory. This is what is expected of us all at this time.” Asked whether PDP regretted its action, Metuh stressed that the decision to field Jonathan was taken by all organs of the party.
“How can you regret a decision taken, where everyone was there – the NWC, NEC and the national caucus?
What are we talking about? Everybody was conscious of the decision. Nobody was coerced into supporting the position.”
The Sun
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