party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in his choice of Peter Obi
as his running mate, to ensure victory for PDP in next year’s general
elections.
The former president’s appeal follows a statement issued on Saturday by
leaders of the party in the zone stating that they were not properly
consulted before Mr Obi’s nomination was made public.
In a statement addressed to party members which he personally signed, the
former president counseled against insisting on obtaining a zonal
endorsement for a vice presidential nomination, adding that it is the
prerogative of the presidential candidate to select the candidate he
believes will help him to achieve his vision and goals for the nation.
A statement issued by Ikechukwu Eze, the former president’s spokesman,
quoted Mr Jonathan thus: “I therefore want to directly appeal to my
brothers and sisters from the South-east zone who are members of our party
to reconsider their position and allow the presidential candidate of the
PDP to select a candidate he thinks he can work with to be able to achieve
the party’s development goals. Since Atiku has already nominated Mr. Peter
Obi as his running mate, I am pleading with my party members from the zone
to accept his choice.”
Below is the full statement issued by Mr Jonathan:
“I thank members of our great party for the successful conduct of the
primaries for the various elective positions ahead of the 2019 general
elections. By holding transparent, peaceful and rancor-free convention and
primaries across the country, our party has once more, taken the nation’s
democratic exercise a notch higher, in line with our well-established
tradition of deepening the growth of democracy in our
nation.
“I again congratulate all our candidates for various positions, including
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who was overwhelmingly elected by our delegates as
the flag bearer of our party in the 2019 presidential election. The
popularity and positive reviews of the exercise across the country is a
clear demonstration of national endorsement for the choices we made, going
into the 2019 elections.
“The task before us is to build on this firm foundation and momentum by
pulling in one direction and working assiduously for the victory of these
candidates at the polls.
It is against this backdrop that I appeal for calm and understanding in
the South East where my attention has been drawn to the fact that some
leaders of our party are openly expressing their discomfort with the
reported nomination of former Governor of Anambra State Peter Obi as
Atiku’s running mate. I am told that some of our leaders in the zone have
raised issues with the process of consultation that produced the Vice
Presidential candidate.
“I affirm that consultation is a key ingredient in every political
process. Nonetheless, in the selection of a vice presidential candidate, a
presidential candidate is allowed reasonable freedom to select his running
mate based on loyalty, trust, experience, temperament and capacity to
perform the responsibilities of the office. Anything other than this could
create tension and acrimony between the presidential candidate and his
running mate, even before the inauguration of the government.
My plea is for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to be given a free hand to choose who
he wants to work with as his Vice President without putting him through
undue pressure. In this regard, only minimal consultation is required
which doesn’t necessarily have to involve full regional review and
approval.
“We have to be careful not to give the impression that the process of
selecting a Vice Presidential candidate cannot progress until a regional
stamp of approval is formally procured. The system we are used to right
from the First Republic is one that places the choice of a running mate at
the behest of the candidate, based on his own convictions on capacity and
compatibility.
“From my political history beginning from Deputy Governor to President, I
can say that this is the tradition and standard practice in countries
where either the President and his Vice or Governor and his Deputy contest
election on a common slate. In such instance, once a candidate emerges, he
or she is given a free hand to select the person who understands his
vision and plans for the country, as his running mate.
I therefore want to directly appeal to my brothers and sisters from the
South East zone who are members of our party to reconsider their position
and allow the presidential candidate of our party to select a candidate he
thinks he can work with to be able to achieve the party’s development
goals. Since Atiku has nominated Mr. Peter Obi as his running mate, I am
pleading with my party members from the zone to accept his choice.”