The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has counseled the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, to see himself as the father of the nation who should emulate the late South African President, Nelson Mandela.
The party was reacting to a statement credited to Buhari where he said he will not forgive those who perpetrated election violence during the 2015 general elections, when he played host to some stakeholders and traditional rulers from Rivers State.
The Deputy National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, while speaking with journalists in Abuja, said as the President- elect, Buhari should comment as a father on issues that may be brought before him, rather than take sides especially on issues awaiting adjudication and before a panel of inquiry or the judiciary.
He said the President-elect should try to deal with such issues with the passion of a father to all irrespective of party affiliation, saying that such utterances do not show him as an elder statesman.
Secondus said: “The utterances of the President -elect when he received a delegation of some traditional rulers from Rivers State do not portray him as a statesman. He is the president-elect and indeed the father of all. He should exercise caution and restraint in some issues, especially when such issues are still in court.
“The election tribunals in the country and even in Rivers State have just commenced sitting and unguarded statements could be seen as prejudicial and give negative signals.
“The president-elect should emulate the late President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela who assumed office as president of South Africa at such a critical time in the history of South Africa.
“He is the president -elect and soon to be sworn in as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not the president of the APC.”
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