Former President Goodluck Jonathan has advised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to adopt the statutory delegates option in the next review of its constitution, especially for the state and local government primaries.
Jonathan gave the advice Thursday in Abuja when he received a delegation of the former Speakers, State House of Assemblies elected on the platform of the PDP in his office.
The former President said one of the major challenges facing the PDP was how it elect candidates and national officers of the party.
He said that there would always be crisis resulting from the outcome of the party’s primary elections or conventions until the numbers of statutory delegates to those elections were reviewed to about 70 per cent.
He said that the party must work out modality in which no one person could influence the delegates to elections.
He said that wants those who had served at certain level including governorship, ministerial, parliamentarian positions at all levels should be made statutory delegates.
“That is the area we have not been able to manage properly that is still creating problem for us.
“I believe the next constitution amendment should advocate for that area to be properly examined.
” From my own experience, if that area is strengthened the party will be okay and no body will complain at the end of primaries.
“If you lose, you lose gallantly and you support the person that wins.”
On the issue of war against corruption, Jonathan advised PDP members not to be intimidated.
“There are stories of corruption. I say this will always be there because if you read the statement of the organisers of the first military coup, their statement was attributed to corruption.
” After that all the coup plotters it is always corruption. It will continue to be but one day we will get out of it. Most nations passed through this stage of life.
“The only thing I plead of you is not to politicise certain basic things. Issues of corruption, yes, it is worrisome. No body will encourage it.
“The society must come up with reform to reduce it, if you cannot eliminate it totally. No Society is 100 per cent free of some of these vices but the approach you go about it is key.
“You may approach it in a way that it will become detrimental to the society. It should be done in a way that will enhance the development of the nation.
“So we encourage people to do well.”
He also said that in due time he would aired his own view on why PDP lost in the 2015 general election.
“PDP is still the strongest party. We know the reason why we loss elections.
“People maybe writing left and right, at the appropriate time, some of these things would be properly addressed because of history.
“There are certain things you don’t write now because it would be misunderstood as if you are playing politics.
“After some years, five, six or eight years, when the beneficiaries have left, you can state it in written and people will not fight with you.”
He encouraged them to continue with the party unlike those playing “politics of the stomach” defecting to other parties.
He said PDP did well during its ruling for 16 years by the number of reforms its introduced and implemented.
The former president commended the forum members for coming together to form such association, saying they were important in the strategy of PDP reclaiming power in 2019.
