By Christian Agadibe
National Vice-Chairman of Friends Club Association of Nigeria, Mr Onwusoro Jerry Chinwendu believes that the down fall of PDP as a party in the just concluded election is not the end of the party. He believes that the dry bone shall rise again if members stick together and restructure the ruling party. In this interview, he talks about the last election and the impact the youth played.
Excerpts:
The election has come and gone. What was your experience?
The experience so far in this election was like the president has done his best. Basically, I must commend His Excellency for conceding defeat, and I also commend the members of the association which I led to conquer the South East and South-South for the PDP. The President has done his best, he sacrificed his joy for the betterment of Nigeria. It was not about him losing but he conceded defeat for the betterment of Nigerians. And I must tell you that his Excellency is committed to the Nigerian youths, and he has a lot of programmes despite the crises that are instigated in his administration.
And I must tell you that he had a lot of criteria to move Nigeria forward, he has a lot of empowerment programmes to make sure that Nigeria becomes one of the best countries in the world.
As the deputy chairman of your club, what impact would you say that the youths made in this election.
Well, as the nation’s vice-chairman of Friends Club Association of Nigeria, I must tell you that our members all over the state in South-South and South-East (which I travelled a lot to constitute) made sure we amassed votes for his Excellency. The national chairman of the association also tried his best in the North to make sure we conquer the North for his Excellency. Basically and circumstantially, we could not achieve this but in the South-East, we believed in the administration of his Excellency and his return. And we did extremely well that Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan must come back, and must tell you that we travelled a lot. We did not get any dime from PDP but to God be the glory, today in the South-East and South-South according to the promises we made to the president in a meeting at Abuja, we delivered. And I must commend all the state coordinators, Hon Ikechi Onogu, Prince B of Rivers State, most of them and all the state coordinators for achieving our dreams both in the South-East, and South-South.
What went wrong and why did President Jonathan fail in this election?
It is not that Mr. Jonathan failed in the election; he won the peace of the nation. I want to set an exemplary standard where an incumbent can lose in an election and concede defeat. Based on technicality, the president did not lose election. If you check in the North, you will see irregularities and under-age voting but he did not want to look into that. He won the peace of the country and he believed that the peace of the country is better than his joy. The people that say that the president lost, must think twice because he did not lose. I stand to be corrected also that his Excellency did not lose because he won the peace of our dear nation to live as brothers and sisters, as a democratic nation. His Excellency also advised us to join hands with the incoming administration to make sure that Buhari delivers on the transformational agenda he promised Nigerians. I must tell you that his Excellency is the best person that can move Nigeria forward despite his loss.
What is the future of PDP in Nigerian politics after this election?
Well, I love it that PDP is an opposition party; this will enable us to restructure our party. The party I know which is infamous for personality, irregularities is no more; they should now listen to whatsoever is the mind of the people despite who is in power. PDP has the right to come back in 2019 and go back to where they belong to, but I must advise those at the national level to look at the technicalities of the party not for their own benefit. They should make sure we come back healthy and move Nigeria forward. PDP has done a lot in Nigeria; when you check their record, we have done more than enough for the country, despite the fact that some people are trying to sabotage PDP. The same people were once members of PDP having ruled under PDP’s platform. They are the ones still criticizing PDP because most of them were former governors and ministers under PDP.
Now PDP has failed, a lot of people are defecting to APC. What gave you this passion to remain in PDP with the belief that they can outshine APC come 2019?
Well, thank you for asking that. I must tell you that since 1999, PDP is the only party that has retained its identity till now. Right now, people that are defecting to other parties are not credible, they are looking for stomach infrastructure. If you’re a true member of PDP that is committed to nation building, then it is not about defecting because you lost. We have been PDP members since 1999 and we have never defected; if you must be a member, then you must be committed. A failure does not mean that you’re a failure forever; you only have to be corrected. Now PDP has found their fault which will be corrected and that should not give them a reason to defect. If you then defect, who are the people to make the party strong? If you’re going to make the party strong, stand with your party, stand on the ups and down of the party, make sure that the party comes alive again and make sure you protect the democracy which they have established since 1999. You don’t defect to a party because it is already made, and you want to go there to become a minister, or commissioner. That is what they call stomach infrastructure, and is not because of democracy or for Nigerians. We must be patriotic Nigerians.
You are one of the youth leaders of your club who endorsed Jonathan for PDP, and I know the President is passionate about the youths. What happened that someone who claimed to be a youth was eventually defeated in the election by an old man?
To be frank with you, when I was in primary school, they say that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow. Jonathan was a youth when Buhari was ruling and again the same Jonathan is contesting with the father of the youths. I’m not here to discriminate between the youth and the elders or old men but the youth are there while the elders are also there to give them guidelines. I must tell you that the youth love Mr. President and his Excellency did not lose the election. There were irregularities in the North and unconfirmed report has it that a 10 year old child voted as well as 5-year olds but President Jonathan left his ambition because of the peace of Nigeria. Our youths are the best you can find in the whole world, they are committed. Nigerian youths are suffering but they are not protesting; you can’t see any Nigerian youth protesting in the streets like you see in Syria though they are suffering. What happened in Jonathan’s administration is where a caucus instigates crisis to make sure Jonathan does not perform but despite that right now, Jonathan performed. And right now, I can drive from Lagos to Owerri for 6 hours unlike before when it was about 12 hours’ drive.
Where is the future of your club with the opposition party taking the government now?
The friends’ Club Association of Nigeria is a youth empowerment organization, and we are ambassadors of peace, ambassadors of good governance like our motto clearly states: “Good governance we stand”. If President Buhari is going to perform and give Nigerian youths what I believe is their right, then we are definitely going to support President Buhari. President Buhari is a credible man, that is why most of our members went out of their way to vote him in most especially in the North and the West. If he keeps his promises, I promise you also that in the South-south and South-East, we are going to deliver to Buhari in the coming election.
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