I take responsibility for PDP’s defeat in 2015 – Jonathan

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has taken responsibility for the Peoples Democratic Party’s defeat in the 2015 presidential election.

He, therefore, said his priority now “is how to ensure that the Peoples Democratic Party regains the Presidency in 2019.”

Jonathan said this when Chief Olabode George and his campaign team paid him a courtesy visit in his country home in Otuoke, Bayelsa State on Tuesday.

A statement by Bode George Media Office after the meeting quoted the ex-President as saying it was his responsibility to ensure that the PDP rose again as a strong political platform to win the next elections.

Jonathan said, “Whether I like it or not, I must take responsibility for the defeat because I led the party to the election. The only thing that will make me sleep well is to ensure that the PDP comes back to power.”

The former President said he was working with other stakeholders to ensure that the party was well organised to achieve this purpose though he preferred to work from the back seat.

He said the party must begin to take the right steps in the right direction to regain the confidence of the electorate, adding that the mistakes of the past would not be repeated.

Speaking earlier, George, a former deputy national chairman of PDP who is currently on a nationwide campaign for the chairmanship election in December 9, had congratulated the former President on his 60th birthday.

George urged the ex-President, as the leader of the party, to ensure that the PDP emerge stronger from the forthcoming national convention.

George, however, told the former President that the failure to apply the micro-zoning principle to the PDP chairmanship position had caused ripples capable of dividing the party.

He lamented that the party appeared to be drifting as there was no reasonable justification offered by the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee for jettisoning the principle, which was applied to all previous elections to the position.

George also paid a courtesy call on Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State at the governor’s office.

He commended the governor for sustaining the confidence, goodwill and support of the people in his administration and the party.

The governor described the December 9 national convention as a window of opportunity to put the PDP’s house in order, urging all aspirants to elective positions as well as the leaders of the party to show tolerance and patriotism and work together to make the party proud.

He said it was important to ensure a free, fair, credible and acceptable election.

George was given a rousing reception at the state party secretariat in Yenagoa where he met with party stakeholders and delegates to the convention led by the State Chairman, Chief Cleopas Moses.

Others at the meeting included members of the state House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Friday Benson and local government chairmen.