Jonathan’s failure to respect zoning caused our 2015 polls loss — PDP Vice Chairman

The National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party for the South-South, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, has said the party lost the 2015 elections because former President Goodluck Jonathan did not respect the zoning agreement reached in 2011.
According to Ojougboh, Jonathan should have allowed a northerner to emerge the party’s candidate based on agreements reached prior to the elections.
Ojougboh, who spoke with journalists in Abuja on Saturday, said Jonathan broke a power shift pact agreed to by the party.
Ojougboh said it was a mistake from which the PDP had learnt and would now respect the zoning arrangement as enshrined in the party’s constitution.
He said Jonathan agreed to serve one term in 2011 but could not summon the courage to resist the advances by some party leaders to stick to the agreement.
Ojougboh said owing to this, voters in the North rejected Jonathan, opting for President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, who is a northerner like them.
He said: “After eight years (of the regime of former President Olusegun Obasanjo), it was the turn of the North to become president, then problem started.
“Some people started toying with the idea of third term.
“PDP said no.
“PDP members of the National Assembly and other parties said no it will not work.
“The PDP had to produce a candidate and that was how (late President Umaru) Yar’adua came.
“Unfortunately, Yar’adua did not survive, so the North said ‘this presidency is ours, we have to utilise our allotted eight years’.
“And they were right.
“Jonathan himself said he would do only four years.
“Emirs, leaders and stakeholders in the country accepted that Jonathan would do only four years so that the power can shift to the North.
“When time came, a lot of Macapa dances started.
“People started putting pressure here and there and people started encouraging Jonathan to contest.
“Unfortunately, Jonathan didn’t have the nerves to say ‘no, I will keep my agreement’.
“So, Jonathan contesting meant that zoning formula had been breached.
“The North didn’t take it kindly.
“They said ‘no, this is not what we agreed on’.
“Even the Christian North that used to be very friendly, especially the North Central, said we had an agreement.”