Jonathan’s Defeat: We’ve Learnt Our Lesson – PDP Chairman

Bruised and humiliated by the outcome of the presidential and National Assembly elections across the country, the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Adamu Mu’azu, has declared that the electoral loss has taught the party a great lesson.

This comes as the leadership of PDP also met with some of its governors, governorship candidates and some state party chairmen with the aim of restrategising to stem further humiliation.

The meeting, which started at 11:30am and ended at 2:15pm, was held behind closed doors; even aides of the party chieftains were asked to leave the meeting immediately after the national anthem was sung to signal the commencement of the meeting.

The meeting was chaired by the national chairman, Dr Adamu Mu’azu, with most of their governorship candidates in attendance.

The meeting, a party source revealed, was aimed at restrategising to stop a possible bandwagon effect of the presidential and National Assembly election losses in the April 11 governorship election.

“We are mindful of the bandwagon effect after the presidential election. We are planning how to adopt a new strategy and intensify our push to ensure our governorship candidates are not floored at the election,” a party source, who pleaded anonymity, said.

The atmosphere at the party’s national headquarters was, however, was downcast as the usual bubbly activity that accompanies the visit of its chieftains to the party’s national secretariat was noticeably watered down.

The party is, however, considering the option of approaching the election tribunal to complain about the manner of its loss. It claims there were irregularities that worked against its presidential candidates.

PDP national chairman, Adamu, Mu’azu, in a statement, said: “Presently, our nation is at the threshold of history and its defining moment for the future. As you are aware, in the early hours of Wednesday, April 1, 2015, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returned the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, as winner of the 2015 presidential election.

“However, we have received reports of serious irregularities that characterized the conduct of the election and we shall channel our protests to the appropriate quarters in line with our profound respect for the rule of law and democratic ethos.

“What is paramount to us is the survival of our democracy, the unity, peace and progress of our dear nation and the happiness of all our people. Nigeria is bigger than any political party, individual or group and her overall interest must be our priority at all times.”