We Were Not Bribed‎ To Endorse Jonathan – PRP Chairman

The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), has denied rumours that the leadership of the party was financially induced to endorse President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Congress (APC), for the 28 March Presidential election.

Chairman of the party in Delta State, Comrade Emmanuel Igbini, disclosed this on Tuesday in Asaba during a chat with journalists.

Led by a former Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, the PRP had last Saturday at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State endorsed Jonathan in what Igbini described as “very difficult decision.”

Igbini disclosed that PRP had supported the presidential ambition of Buhari in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 election, but that the party decided to switch to Jonathan after about four hours of debate, in the interest of PRP and the nation.

He disclosed that PRP in alliance with other stakeholders under the platform of Credible Alternative Alliance (CAA), had earlier endorsed the presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), but that PRP had to pull out of the coalition when it discovered that the ACPN candidate was not credible, following the presidential debate and internal events in CAA.

“PRP had a rethink as to the next option. Having lost out in the CAA, we were now left with Jonathan/PDP and Buhari/APC to choose from. We have to choose between the two parties which of them will better guarantee the continued corporate existence of Nigeria.

“Jonathan and the PDP have track record of undeniable and monumental ineptitude, corrupt administration and political visionlessness. On the other hand, APC is made up of 70 percent of decampees from PDP, in addition to the fact that Buhari has a track record of human rights abuses, a tendency towards fascism, intolerance and arrogant self-righteousness,” he said.

Igbini said it issue was debated for over four hours before Jonathan was endorsed by majority of those who attended the meeting.

“It was a very difficult decision to adopt Jonathan because we debated the issue and voted at the end of the day. It was a difficult but necessary and patriotic choice,” he said, maintaining that the endorsement of the PDP does not however extend to the states.