***PDP has learnt hard lesson–Oyegun
By CHUKS EHIRIM
–Forum of Nigerian ex-governors yesterday tasked the incoming government of the All Progressives Congress, APC to be magnanimous in victory and provide purposeful leadership for the country.
The forum made its position public Thursday, when it paid a congratulatory visit to the party’s national leadership at its secretariat in Abuja.
The visit attracted at least eight erstwhile governors which included Fidelis Tapgun (Plateau), Dr Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia), Ahmed Markafi (Kaduna), Balarabe Musa (Kaduna) Buka Ibrahim (Yobe) ,Okwesilieze Nwodo (Enugu), Chinwoke Mbadinuju (Anambra) Niyi Adebayo(Ekiti).
Speaking at the meeting, former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo who led the delegation expressed joy that the election that brought APC to victory was peaceful.
He added that the election more than the previous ones attracted global attention.
According to him, the forum’s mission was essentially to congratulate the party, the national chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun and the president-elect, General Mohammadu Buhari on their electoral victory.
He pledged the support of the forum to the incoming government even as he advised against parallel fora for the former governors, saying that it was the same whether APC and the PDP.
He said, “The people of this country have voted for Buhari because they know whom he is. We of the former governors forum will support Buhari as he assumes office to govern as from May 29.
“I really do not feel it is good for us to have two former governor’s forum. It is good to have united body regardless of which ever party leanings. On Behalf of the forum I congratulate you. We came to congratulate you. It is not easy for one to nurture a party that will win the presidency. He is a very humble person and very principled.”
Also speaking, the former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzo Kalu urged for strong and virile opposition to help entrench democracy in the land.
Responding, the national chairman of APC who led other members of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC to receive the ex-governors said that the victory was not for the party alone but for all Nigerians.
He likened it to a democratic revolution that happened in the country.
He said: “Nigeria is going through peaceful democratic revolution, all that is happening in the country at present shows that politics does not have to be wars. This country needs every single well intended head because the problem confronting us demands collective efforts to surmount.
Oyegun however said that the election had thought the PDP a hard lesson, saying they took Nigerians for granted.
“It is good that this trashing came the way of the PDP because the party has become very used to power to the extent that its leaders were becoming arrogant.
“For the PDP, they are part of the history and history in the making. All they need to do is to go into retrospection. We will be glad to have a virile opposition. We want the PDP to be strong enough to be able to keep us on our toes”, he added.
