It is now official: the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it lost its
16-year hold on power because former President Goodluck Jonathan betrayed the
north. Cairo Ojougboh, vice-chairman (south-south) of the PDP, told journalists
in Abuja on Friday that if Jonathan had kept to his promise to do only one term
in 2011, the party would not have lost the election.
In a report published by THISDAY on Sunday, Ojougboh said even the
Christian north turned against Jonathan in the 2015 polls because of the
“injustice” of reneging on his promise.
Although he was widely reported to have promised to do only one term in
2011, Jonathan denied entering such a pact and challenged his accusers to
provide evidence.
But Ojougboh maintained that Jonathan did make the promise after
succeeding President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, who had barely spent three years in
office when he died. The PDP leader said:
“Jonathan himself said he will do only four years. Emirs, leaders and
stakeholders in the country accepted that Jonathan will do only four years so
that power can shift to the north.
When the time came, a lot of macabre dance started. People started
putting pressure here and there, and people started encouraging Jonathan to
contest. “Unfortunately, Jonathan didn't have the nerve to say, no, I will keep
my agreement.
So, Jonathan contesting meant that zoning formula had been breached.
The north didn't take kindly to it; they said, no, this is not what we agreed.
Even the Christian north that used to be very friendly, especially the
north-central, said, we had an agreement.
“Some governors, about five of them, left the party because of that
because they saw what was happening. The north now agreed that they must take
power back, that it was their turn.”
He said the 2015 election was a battle between the north and the south.
“The south had done more than enough for the time being, for the agreement of
1998/1999.
So the north said, look we are going to vote for our son, whether he is
good or bad,” he said. Jonathan lost to President Muhammadu Buhari by 2.57
million votes, having won in 2011 by a difference of 10 million votes.
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