Contrary to what many in opposition have held on to about how the APC came to power in 2015, the PDP leadership have taken responsibility for the many blunders that brought the erstwhile ruling party crashing down.
“We were sanctioned by Nigerians at the polls in 2015, “said PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus.
Many party stalwarts, especially the likes of Ekiti Gov. Ayo Fayose, and their sympathisers, including Junaid Mohammed,a former rep and the loudest critics of the present administration, will feel disappointed that Uche ascertained Nigerians, not the APC rigging machine, kicked the PDP out.
Junaid just raised the alarm of the possibilities of the APC rigging again in 2019.
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The loser himself, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has his misgiving on the victory of the APC flagbearer Muhammadu Buhari.
In Against the Run of Play, a book by ThisDay journalist Segun Adeniyi, Jonathan saw some rigging of the figures in Kano, where 1.8 million people voted in the presidential election, and 800000 in NASS election conducted same day.
The former president also saw some external influence, especially of then US President Barack Obama.
But during the moment of truth on Monday in Abuja, Secondus told Nigerians the mistakes the party made while in power.
“Let me use this opportunity to apologise for our past mistakes,” he added during a public national discourse on “Contemporary Governance in Nigeria.”
He assured that under his watch, there would be no imposition of candidates or any form of impunity.
“We are humans, not spirits, and the ability to admit is key in moving forward.”
He said the PDP made several mistakes, but has learntbits lesson , acquired the experience no other party can boast of.
“It is the honest thing to do. When we make mistakes, we should come out boldly to the people and apologise, ” he said.
“It is important to do so because we have learnt from our mistakes unlike the All Progressive Congress (APC) that will make mistakes and lie to cover it.”
According to Secondus, when things are not positive and the mindset is negative, it is time to reset it.
He said that the public discourse was an ample opportunity for the party members to collectively “press the reset button’’ and set a new agenda for the nation.
Part of the mistake, according to him, was too much power at the party’s national headquarters.
” And going forward, power will be devolved to the wards, states and zones.”
In his contribution, a chieftain of the party, Chief George Bode, said that the position of the party leadership rekindled his loyalty.
According to him, to err is human, and to forgive is divine.
A panelist at the event, Ms Toyosi Ogunshiji, commended the party for taking the path of honour.
She said that Nigeria must move from praying to taking more serious actions for the progress of the country.
Ogunshiji said that the country needed statesmen “who think about the people and not politicians who think about the next elections’’.
According to her, Nigerians only voted against President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 and did not necessarily vote for President Muhammadu Buhari.
She said that the electorate who would be seen in the 2019 general elections would be different from those politicians had seen in the past.
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