A leader of the People’s Democratic Party in the South-West region of Nigeria, Olabode George, says that the decision of the party’s leadership to offer its presidential ticket to President Jonathan is not new in democracy.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, he explained that in developed democracies, especially in the United States of America, such decisions are usually made when an incumbent president is seen to have performed well in office.
He said that only in rare situations would an incumbent president, whom the party is satisfied with, not be presented unopposed, let alone denied the ticket to re-contest.
George, who is a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, added that President Jonathan, in his case, has been well assessed by the different arms of the party, including the women and the youths and truly deserves the ticket.
He, however, noted that this decision does not exclude anyone in the party who still feels convinced to challenge the President for the ticket, as the National Convention of the party would still have to hold for the decision of the party bigwigs to be affirmed.
On the view that the pronouncement in support of the President already puts other aspirants at a disadvantage, “If anybody thinks he is better and bigger he should come and prove it,” George said.
He maintained that the incumbent President is hardly challenged at the party level in America and the Jonathan case simply goes in the same direction, as most members of the party have expressed satisfaction in him.
He also responded to allegations by the All Progressives Congress, APC, that PDP has displayed signs of lack of internal democracy which it has accused them of lacking.
He said that APC should not compare itself to PDP as it does not have an incumbent and does not have a tested candidate in the stature of President Goodluck Jonathan.
He warned that Nigerians should be weary of an experiment, which is what he thinks the All Progressives Congress is offering Nigerians.
