The self-acclaimed Chairman of the mega party, National Unity Party, NUP, Perry Opara, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, died the day former President, Olusegun Obasanjo personally supervised the tearing of his membership card of the party.
Opara made the remark yesterday while disagreeing with the immediate past President, Goodluck Jonathan’s recent claim that PDP remains the biggest and strongest party in Nigeria.
He noted that the incorrigible nature of Jonathan led to the loss of the former ruling party in the 2015 Presidential election.
The mega party Chairman observed that any attempt by the former President to revive the party would further divide it because his intervention was coming too late.
“I totally disagree with former President, Jonathan. In the first place, he caused PDP’s defeat in 2015. He should not have contested in 2015. He should have allowed Dr. Tafawa Balewa and others to compete with him in the 2015 PDP presidential primary.
Jonathan is a good man but not a courageous leader. Courageous leaders strengthen institutions to make them strong. Weak leaders don’t make institutions strong.
“PDP is gone and gone forever. PDP died the day Obasanjo tore his membership card. Jonathan woke up from his political slumber very late in the day. When he lost election in April 2015, leaders of PDP went to him severally to reorganise the party but he could not do that until he left office. Even after leaving office he could not do anything for PDP; he ran away.
“Two years after, he has realised his mistakes to reorganise PDP when things have gone bad. No way! It is late. His entry into PDP now will create the 3rd faction in the party. He should step back and enjoy his retirement. The soul of PDP has left and will never come back,” he told leadership.
Alleging that Jonathan campaigned with money and left substance behind, Opara stressed that the former President was not in charge of his Jonathan, 2015 Presidential campaign.
“You don’t change a winning team. His structures in the party were dismantled before the 2015 reelection bid. Yet, he couldn’t do anything.
“He was not in charge. Instead of campaigning on issues, they campaigned with money and left the substance. He resorted to campaign of calumny against Buhari. How do you convince Nigerians that such a corrupt group should come back in 2019. Never; forget it,” he added.
