The Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Affairs, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, has said that governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, who defected to the All Progressives Congress are “prodigal sons” and will soon return to the fold, begging for forgiveness.
The North America Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria reports that Gulak stated this as a special guest at a dinner organised by the Goodluck Support Group in New York, United States of America.
The event was well attended by Nigerian-Americans, congressmen and the business community.
The night also witnessed formal inauguration of zonal coordinators of GSG with a presentation of a documentary on “See what President Goodluck Jonathan Has Done in 2 Years.”
Gulak said: “Some of these governors are so unpopular.
“They cannot win elections in their states.
“No political analysis can show that Rotimi Amaechi can take Rivers State to APC.
“It is simply impossible that Amaechi’s APC will take the votes away from the PDP whether at the governorship or presidential levels and other levels for that matter.
“Some of these ‘brief case’ political parties fielded Olu Falae in 1998 in an AD (Alliance for Democracy)/ANPP (All Nigeria Peoples Party) coalition and lost to PDP.
“In 2003, they ganged with (Muhammadu) Buhari, carrying the ANPP banner while the ACN (Action Congress of Nigeria) gave the ticket to Atiku Abubakar, who abandoned the PDP.
“Of course they were roundly defeated at the polls while in 2007 the same Buhari, running on the ticket of the ANPP, ran against the President and was roundly defeated by the PDP.
“In 2011, Buhari contested on the platform of the party he formed, the CPC (Congress for Progressive Change) while ACN fielded Ribadu and they were again defeated.
“I assure you that we will always defeat them and come tops.”
Gulak said no Nigerian leader had been so qualified to lead Nigeria as Jonathan.
He said: “He (Jonathan) passed through all the relevant stages of political tutelage.
“This President will take us to the Promised Land.
“He has ideas to move Nigeria forward.
“Join him to make this happen.”
Gulak said Jonathan gave a score-card of his performance in two years.
Gulak stated that the evidence on ground showed that the President’s transformation agenda was real.
He said the Nigerian Railways, which was long buried and forgotten, was now functional, as well as the Abuja-Lokoja, Kano-Maiduguri, Lagos-Ibadan, East-West Expressways and the Niger Bridge were 70 per cent ready.
Gulak also said that the Mambila Hydro Power, Zungeru/Geregou/Ogun Power plants were completed prior to privatisation, a feat completed by Jonathan’s administration.
On education, Gulak said that administration had excelled in the Almajiri School system, which he noted was catering for over 10 million children.
He explained that the administration’s summit on how to move the sports sector forward gave birth to the country winning the African Nations Cup, the Under 17 World Cup tournament and qualified for the Brazil World Cup tournament holding in 2014.
He added: “Yet some few vocal individuals paint a black picture of Nigeria, giving the impression there is a crisis.
“This is a game of politics just like what is happening here in the US where the opposition shut down the government.
“They called the president all manner of names and insisted on budget cuts.
“Those who jumped ship will come back again.
“Atiku left PDP for ACN and returned to the fold with profuse apology.
“He was welcomed back like a prodigal son.
“We will welcome back our prodigal sons because out there, it is nothing but empty shelves full of mediocre.”
Gulak said the constitution provided for a president in his first term to contest for a second term if he so wished, stressing that some persons were asking Jonathan not to re-contest.
He said: “Among those making this round of clamour are governors and senators.
“The issue of insecurity has become a global problem spreading to the US, the Middle East, North Africa, Libya and Syria.
“Ours is part of a larger picture of this global challenge.
“Boko Haram has links with Al Queda and Al Shabaab and government is working hard to stop Boko Haram’s infiltration and importation of small arms as well as its sources of funds.”
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