‘Baseless, strange tale’ — Jonathan denies claim of working with aggrieved PDP governors

Former President Goodluck Jonathan says the five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors currently involved in the crisis in the party are not working for his cause. 

Jonathan said this on Friday in a statement by Ikechukwu Eze, his special adviser. 

Dubbed as G5, the five governors — Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Samuel Ortom of Benue, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu — are among stakeholders calling for the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu as the party’s chairman. 

The call is said to be on the grounds that the party’s presidential candidate and national chairman cannot be from the same region.

But Ayu has insisted that he will complete his tenure.

Amid the development which has generated a crisis in the party, there had been recent reports claiming the five governors were fighting Jonathan’s cause.

But the former president said such claims are false and targeted at misleading the public. 

“We believe that such duplicitous statements could not have emanated from the camps of those who truly wish the party well. It simply shows that the so called ‘sources’ of the story are not disposed to the peace and unity they pretend to be seeking in the PDP,” the statement reads.

“How could anybody turn around in 2022 to accuse Jonathan of bearing a grudge against the PDP when the former President had campaigned vigorously for the party and its Presidential candidate during the 2019 elections?

“Those who insinuate that Dr. Jonathan is not happy with the PDP’s Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, because of whatever roles he played ahead of the 2015 elections forget that the former President actively campaigned for Atiku in 2019, attending the flag-off of his campaigns in Sokoto and subsequently participating in the campaigns in some states like Rivers and Bayelsa.

“The fact that Dr. Jonathan stood out as an exemplary politician who, throughout his political career, abhorred treachery and mean-mindedness, and played politics without bitterness, needs no gainsay. Unlike many of his detractors, the former President has, out of office, progressed to a higher level of statesmanship, faithfully applying himself to causes that promote peace, love, unity and progress, across the entire west African sub-region.

“It is Dr. Jonathan’s wish that the PDP is able to resolve its internal crisis, unite all members and have a good showing in the forthcoming 2023 elections. We wish to however point out that it will be difficult to achieve this aspiration if some forces in the party continue to engage in mudslinging, disinformation and manifest tendencies that negate the values that are dear to loyal party members.

“Former President Jonathan had served this country meritoriously at both the state and federal levels. He has now been out of office for almost eight years and Nigerians have come to trust and love him for who he is.

“While in office, he had no enemies to fight. He still has no enemies to fight, now that he has become a private citizen.”