As counting of ballots is well underway in Port Harcourt, Rivers State where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) holds its special national convention to decide its candidate in the 2019 presidential election, the former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has predicted the party’s win in the 2019 presidential election.
Jonathan who made the prediction Port Harcourt on Sunday while addressing the delegates said all the aspirants are qualified to lead the country, having interacted with them since 1999.
He said the PDP is clearly the party to take over power adding that if the delegates selected one of the 12 aspirants, “I’m sure the person will make Nigeria proud.”
“The national chairman asked me not to come and make a formal speech today but it is only proper for me and the former Vice President to greet members of our party. So, we have come just to do that.
“Of course, we are here because 12 people just spoke to us and one of them will be the next president of this country. For me, I am so confused on the one to vote for because all of them have seen me privately, seen me publicly and spoke to you today.
“There is no one person that knows all of them except myself. I started interacting with most of them from 1998 and 1999 till date. I have worked with all of them and I know them left right and centre.
“I can say that all of them are qualified to rule this country. But among these 12 qualified gentlemen, we are going to select one based on some key criteria. I have always said that the greatest problem we face today in Nigeria is unity. To a point some people ask whether they belong to this country.
“We must select a leader; we must select the next president, a person who can bring Nigerians together. Let’s first save our Nigeria, then, others will follow. They are all qualified. We have to look at it critically.
“One thing that makes me happy is when I remember the good days of the PDP. Yes, we are in the opposition, but today, we have the Senate President. Yes, we are in the opposition, but today, we have the Speaker of the House of Representatives. This is an achievement.
“The number of governors has also increased. It shows that PDP is preparing the pact to takeover power. I thank God for seeing us through. I have had discussions with all of them. I know that if we select one of them, we will help this country move forward.
“They all agreed that once we select that person peacefully, they will all support him and I thank them for that determination in joining us to move the party forward,” he said.
Also speaking, the national chairman of the party, Mr. Uche Secondus said the PDP had learnt its lessons having graduated from being an opposition party in 2015 to a ruling party-in-waiting in 2018.
Secondus, who expressed pleasure in welcoming members from all over Nigeria to Port Harcourt, announced the subject of the national convention as ‘Nigerians take back your country.’
He said “today PDP is now in control of the leadership of the National Assembly, adding that “the convention is a crucial stage in the party’s “unstoppable march to regain power.”
He said the selection of aspirants for the convention was done through indirect primaries, adding that the convention would be orderly, fair and transparent.
He said the party was determined to organise a convention that would remain a reference point for other parties.
Secondus also recalled that the PDP gathered in Jos, Plateau State in 1998 for a similar convention to herald a new democracy in Nigeria.
