My Enemies Are Harming President Jonathan's Legacy - PDP Chairman Mu'azu

Embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu, says those rooting for his removal are enemies of President Goodluck Jonathan, and are thereby rubbishing the legacy of the outgoing president.

Following Mr. Jonathan’s defeat in the March presidential election, some people within the party have called for the National Working Committee (NWC), led by Mr. Mu'azu, to be sacked. 

In a statement in Abuja on Tuesday by his media aide, Tony Amadi, that top party men and aides of the President who have advocated the dismemberment of the NWC not only risk their political careers but are dragging President Jonathan's image into the scrap heap.

"Mr President is being hailed world-wide for his historic conduct of a free and fair election in Nigeria and conceding power to the incoming President-elect General Muhammadu Buhari, while a coterie of his aides are working to diminish his newly acquired world statesmanship status because they are scared of the consequences of losing federal power,” he said.

He warned that they endanger the future of the PDP that brought them to prominence at a time they should be concerned with working together with its leadership to rebuild it.

“The same party leaders that thought it fit to make President Jonathan the sole Presidential candidate of the party in the recent general election they are indirectly harming not only his political future but the cherished legacy he was leaving behind after a momentous six years in office as President of Nigeria,” Mu’azu argued.

"When you remove the engine room of the party, what you have left is a party that is finished, they can't move, can't plan and above all can't win elections,” he stressed. “No matter what level of defeat that has occurred, the PDP can still win in 2019 if we get our act together, perform creditably in opposition and convince Nigerians that we are ready again for governance.”

He said that the current NWC under his leadership is in the best position to revamp and consolidate the PDP for this role because of their individual and collective expertise.

The chairman further stated that the NWC needs the support of well-meaning party members “particularly in view of the political maturity they displayed” when, according to him, they were sidelined by the same presidential aides.

"It is not in the interest of our great party for presidential advisers to disrupt the party machinery and render it rudderless as those fighting the MU'AZU-led NWC are currently doing. The same go for out going or incoming governors who should be working harder to return the PDP to power in four years time.”

Stressing that the anti-Mu’azu campaigners are harming the President, the party and their own political future, he pointed out that Senators, Representatives and the party leaders across the states recently passed a vote of confidence on the Chairman and members of the NWC. In that regard, he noted that to survive a vote of confidence is the highest test in political leadership, and that all genuine members of the party should therefore work with his leadership to bring the party back to its winning ways once again.

Restating that the party under his leadership and the current NWC is good hands, Mu’azy said, “Those fighting their party leadership for no just cause deserve to be sent to gulag archipelago for full reformation and restoration."