Insecurity Changed My Agenda - Jonathan at PDP’s NEC





ABUJA - President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, cried out over what he described as the lynch-mob mentality of the political opposition, who he claimed, was determined to drown him and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, out of political relevance.

He also said that the security situation in the country changed his pre-election agenda. 

In his opening remarks at the 60th National Executive Committee, NEC meeting of the PDP in Abuja, President Jonathan who absolved the insurgent Islamic group, Boko Haram from blame in the recent spate of killings on the Plateau said the government had decided to refocus its pre-election agenda of job creation in favour of security enhancement.

Yesterday’s NEC meeting attended by 14 PDP governors was the first after the recent Edo State governorship election where the party was soundly defeated by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. The erstwhile chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, who was a normal sight at the party’s NEC’s was unusually absent at the meeting during which the party repledged a vote of confidence on President Jonathan and the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

Noting what he described as the increasing gang-up by the opposition against the PDP, President Jonathan noted that the opposition was now more determined than ever to paint the PDP bad whether it was a contest for a council seat or the presidency.

Giving reasons for the administration’s decision to refocus its pre-election agenda of job creation towards security, President Jonathan said that ensuring food security as well as create job for the people would not be feasible as a man must be first alive for him to “talk about job or food.”

He as such disclosed that from the next NEC meeting that government functionaries would be brought to brief members of NEC on government’s plans and policies. He said that the briefing would start with the National Security Adviser, NSA, retd. Col. Sambo Dasuki, and would be followed by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and other Ministers.