Jonathan’s defeat, temporary setback for PDP –Presidency

The Presidency on Monday described the defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election as a temporary setback for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.The defeat of the President by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammad’s Buhari (retd.), brought to an abrupt end, the 16-year rule of the PDP.But the Presidency said supporters of the PDP should not despair, adding that the defeat should be an opportunity for the party to re-strategise and plan ahead.The Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Prof. Rufai Alkali, stated this in an interview with journalists in Abuja.Akali described the outcome of the 2015 general elections as a temporary setback for and not the a final destination for the PDP.He appealed to the supporters of President Jonathan to use this transition period as a time for self-reflection to heal and re-strategise.He said, “I wish to appreciate and thank all the groups and individuals that have contributed one way or the other to support President Jonathan during the election.“We should all see the outcome of the presidential election as a temporary setback and not a full-stop in along sentence of the political history of this great country, Nigeria”.Akali said that though the President and the PDP lost in the election Jonathan still remained the most critical political assets of the PDP and awaited the direction of the party.“It is conceivable that as a result of this unprecedented setback, our members and supporters may lose focus, hope and direction and even be tempted to engage in divisive activities; nonetheless, we should be more united than ever before as the task now is to join hands together to strengthen the party,” Alkali stated.He called on all the supporters of President Jonathan nationwide, especially those that contributed to his re-election campaigns and stood by the President in the pursuit of his ambition, to remain calm and resolute as the country prepared for the May 29 handover to the incoming administration.Responding to questions on the decision of the President to concede to his opponent even before the entire results were announced, the presidential aide said, “Our President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has displayed and established an exceptional legacy that will remain permanent not only in Nigeria but in the whole of Africa.“The President’s actions to call and congratulate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari before the final results were announced showed that Dr. Jonathan is a man of his words and is leaving an indelible mark in the sands of time.”Akali expressed appreciation to Jonathan’s supporters for their individual and collective support and urged them not to lose faith in the PDP.The presidential adviser further urged those promoting chaos and disaffections in the country to desist because according to him, Nigeria had shamed all doomsday prophets.