9th February, 2011
The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN and a cross-section of Nigerians have criticized President Goodluck Jonathan for what they called his unpresidential comments yesterday at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, Oyo State, South West Nigeria that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP will wrest power out of the hands of ‘rascals’ governing Lagos, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states.
Reacting to the president’s comment today, National Publicity Secretary, ACN, Mr. Lai Muhammed described the president’s remarks as very unpatriotic, saying that “we will not join issues with him because attacking him is attacking the office of the presidency.
“The president should mind his language and face issues. What Nigerians want to know is how the coming election will be free and fair and what the PDP has in store for the people.â€
Publicity Secretary, ACN, Lagos State , Mr. Joe Igbokwe lashed out at Jonathan for calling dependable and committed leaders in Lagos, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states rascals, saying that these leaders had been re-branding the nation which the PDP had destroyed.
“This is a horrible tale from some political nonentity and nitwits, full of sound and fury signifying nothing. This statement is coming from a bunch of clueless touts and political neophytes that have destroyed Nigeria .
“They think they can capture South West again after eight years of disaster in Ogun, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo and Oyo States . The Ibadan show of shame is going to be the last they will get such gathering in the South West.
“They are busy making all the noise in the world but we are busy rebuilding Nigeria . Remember they said these same things in 2003, 2007 and now 2011. The world is not taking them seriously,†he stated.
According to Igbokwe, there was no way the PDP could get back the states the ACN had taken over from them in the South West, adding that the nation had earned more money between 1999 and 2011 than what the nation earned between 1960 and 2008 which the PDP-led government had squandered.
He lamented that in 12 years, the nation’s hospitals, roads, electricity and the rest had been bastardized by the PDP, saying that the PDP is the rascal itself because of how it had plunged the nation into the abyss.
Speaking with P.M.NEWS, an ACN member in the Senate, representing Lagos West Senatorial District, Hon. Ganiyu Solomon said it was unfortunate that such an unpresidential statement would be coming from the mouth of the president.
“We are not surprised; we will soon come up with a collection of the president’s statements. He needs to undergo orientation in public speaking on how to respond to issues.
“It is an embarrassment of the position of the president for him to have used the word ‘rascal.’ As far as winning South West is concerned, the electorates are now wiser,†he said.
National President, Campaign for Democracy, CD, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin said she felt disappointed by the president’s unbecoming utterances, saying “how can the president address governors as rascals? It is unbecoming of the president.
“He needs to apologise; politics should be that of issues. His statement is strongly condemned and it should never happen again. Any attempt by the president to say that again will spell doom for the coming election,†he stated.
—Kazeem Ugbodaga & Yisa Jamiu