Niger State governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, on Friday, claimed that the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party at both national and state elections was not surprising to Nigerians, adding that the defeat was as a result of the refusal of the party to adhere to the single term agreement.
The governor spoke in Minna as a special guest of honour at the convocation lecture of the Federal University of Technology, Minna.
Aliyu said: “Many of us saw it coming. When I reminded us that we had an agreement for one term(that President Goodluck Jonathan had agreed to run for one term), they nearly crucified me. When I led the G7(group of seven aggrieved PDP governors), they did not do what we wanted them to do until five members left and they did what we asked them to do.”
The governor, addressing Prof. Ahmed Alkali, Political Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Aliyu said, “Many of us saw the defeat coming. Even when I told some of us (PDP members) that we had a one-term agreement, they nearly crucified me. Now, sir, you have seen the results.
“I recall also that when APC came on board, I was the first person to say I was very happy that ‘now, we have a strong party to put PDP on its toes’ and many people were asking that ‘are you really a member’.
“Up until the last elections, the allegation against me had always been that I was a supporter of APC; and now, you have seen the results.”
Aliyu pointed out other reasons he believed were responsible for the failure of the PDP at the polls.
He said: “Nigerians wanted a change and Nigerians got the change. You will have many reasons. One, PDP has been around for 16 years and there is no way you will be around for 16 years and you will not make mistakes. So, there are many reasons that will be put together and we will be able to understand and guide people.”
According to the governor, corruption did not end at stealing money but indulging in malpractices, admonishing people to desist from acts that were capable of destroying our economy arguing that not only government officials were corrupt, but that it “starts from the home.”
