A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, popularly called the New PDP has said that President Goodluck Jonathan lied during the Presidential Media Chat when he denied signing an agreement to serve for one term.
The faction of the troubled ruling party reminded Mr. President that he had promised in February 2011 that he won’t contest after one term in office.
Jonathan had during a media chat on Sunday said, “There was no agreement with anybody that I will serve for only one term. If I had signed any agreement with anybody, they would have shown you the agreement.
“I did not say that I will not contest in 2015. In Addis Ababa, that was when I advocated single term of seven years. My argument was that to be more productive, maybe we should consider single term of seven years.
“I said if Nigerians agree to that, I may not be involved. I did not say I will contest or not. Those who said I have signed an agreement, they should show the agreement.”
Reacting, the New PDP, said on Monday that Jonathan had in 2011 promised not to contest in 2015.
The National Publicity Secretary of the New PDP, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, said,“In February, 2011, while interacting with Nigerians and diplomats working in the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Union in Ankara, Turkey, the President said that he would have loved that the Nigerians in Diaspora voted during the election that year, but added that, that would be very difficult.
“Presently, the law does not allow voting outside Nigeria and so this year Nigerians in Diaspora will not vote, but I will work towards it by 2015 even though I will not be running for election.”
According to the party chieftain, Jonathan also went ahead to say that four years was enough for anyone in power to make impact on his nation.
He added that at the appropriate time, members of the New PDP would expose the President, adding that with his statement on Sunday, it would be more difficult for Nigerians to believe him.
The New PDP spokesman added, “Why would our President deny the statement he made in a broad-day light, even in the presence of international media?
“Why, because of ambition, would our President deny the words that came out of his mouth and statements he made not under duress? Truly, the President is desperate and with this; he has shown that he cannot be trusted.”
He said Nigerians would get a copy of the communiqué of the PDP governors meeting, which he said was attended by 20 governors in December 2010.
Speaking further, Eze said that it was at the meeting convened by the then National Chairman of the party, Dr. Okweliseze Nwodo, that an agreement was reached that Jonathan would be in office for just four years.
He claimed that the agreement reached at the meeting was said to be with one of the governors of the South-South supporting the President.
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