₦airaland Forum

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has
lambasted Christopher Kolade, former
Nigeria’s high commissioner to the United
Kingdom, for “getting his facts wrong” in
flaying President Goodluck Jonathan’s
leadership style.
Speaking at a symposium organised by the
Nigerian Leadership Initiative on Thursday,
Kolade said that Jonathan was lacking in
some leadership qualities, citing an incident
when the president attended a rally in Kano a
day after 59 boys were killed in Yobe state.
Reacting to his statement on Saturday, the
party through its spokesman, Olisa Metuh,
said that Kolade had his facts mixed up,
accusing him of pandering to the opposition.
“We regret that Kolade, an eminent Nigerian
with very senior diplomatic credentials, who
also served as the chairman of SURE-P, a
special development and empowerment
programme of the Jonathan administration,
apparently got his facts mixed up about the
character and person of the President and the
nature of the overall security challenges in
our country,” it said.
The PDP said it had waited for Kolade to
retract his statement, but his refusal to do so
prompted its own reaction.
“While we recognise the inalienable right of
citizens to hold opinions and fully express
themselves, especially given the
institutionalized freedom Nigerians now enjoy
under the present administration, it is only
fair that comments, particularly those from
prominent persons in the mold of Kolade
must be based only on the truth.
“We found it curious that Kolade, a
supposedly apolitical elder statesman, who
has an unfettered access to the president,
could resort to public mudslinging, relying on
oft-repeated lies of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) apparently aimed to
disparage and discredit the president ahead
of the 2015 general election.
“Indeed, the timing and the tenor of Kolade’s
outburst, given the security and political
situation in the land, is also very worrisome
especially when a nerve-soothing statement
from a person of his age and status could
have encouraged our citizens and help douse
the tension in the polity.”
The party also said that Kolade was “standing
history on its head” for saying that the
president went to a rally in Kano state a after
59 students were killed in Yobe state.
“It is common knowledge and verifiable fact
that the said PDP Kano rally held on April 15,
2014, about two months after the unfortunate
killing of 59 students in Yobe in February,
2014,” it argued.
“Whilst we do not expect everybody to agree
with President Jonathan’s leadership style,
we are nevertheless encouraged that
Nigerians from all walks of life appreciate the
president as a committed and sincere leader
with very strong bond with his people and
their well-being irrespective of religious,
ethnic and political affiliations.
“In the last four years, under President
Jonathan, our country has witnessed
unprecedented growth and verifiable
achievements in all sectors with our economy
ranking as the largest in Africa in spite of the
daunting security challenges and the global
economic recession, a fact which Kolade as a
technocrat is fully aware of. We therefore
totally disagree with Kolade when he said
that ‘Nigeria has had it much better than
now’.
“It is incontrovertible that the federal
government has sustained the fight against
insurgency, deploying huge budgetary
allocations to re-equip our security forces as
well as intensified collaborations with
national and international stakeholders to
bring lasting peace to our country.
“We wish to restate that the PDP and all well-
meaning Nigerians are solidly behind
President Goodluck Jonathan in this fight
against terrorism. Those who expect the
president to get distracted, demoralised or
cowed through their utterances must know
that they are fighting a lost battle.
“Let it be clear that the PDP-led
administration shall never allow terrorists and
their supporters to dictate the tempo of
government, which has been their direct
objective. We wish to restate that it is a
globally settled principle that no government
allows terrorists to influence the course of its
action otherwise they have achieved their
purpose against the people.”
The PDP urged all Nigerians to unite and join
hands with the federal government and
security agencies in the fight against
insurgency.
“In conclusion, we call on eminent Nigerians
such as Christopher Kolade to rise up to their
patriotic duty in condemning the heinous acts
of terrorists and urging their international
contacts to support the federal government in
the efforts to end insurgency in our dear
country,” it added.


www.thecable.ng/pdp-says-kolades-outburst-based-apcs-lies

Say the truth and let the devil be ashamed.
I received a video on my whatsapp which was about Jonathan promising of not going for second term in office.
Does it mean he has 4gotten what he promised or he made empty promises.
With what I watched and what mr president pronounce, he can't win come next year election.

And to our leaders, be wise and don't allow money and post to manipulate you all.

Whaooo first to comment thanks to my new phone and thief and useless Mtn and most especially Almighty God for this chance given on to me. Thank you God.
Seun FTC

I read through the entire piece hoping to see how PDP is gonna prove that Kolade's statement which was based on the fact that the country's president had the presence of heart to attend a rally in some part of the country when lives of innocent children were lost barely hours earlier in another part, was based on a lie. Sadly, I couldn't find such.

Are you sure these guys are okay?? I mean, what exactly is this statement meant to achieve?? Personally, I was immensely disappointed when someone of Kolade's stature accepted the job of SURE-P when we all knew it was a ponzi scheme set up by Iweala, at the behest of her employer, to further fleece Nigerians.

Mr President, take heed while your ears are still intact. How many warnings do you need to retrace your steps??

Iroh88:
I read through the entire piece hoping to see how PDP is gonna prove that Kolade's statement which was based on the fact that the country's president had the presence of heart to attend a rally in some part of the country when lives of innocent children were lost barely hours earlier in another part, was based on a lie!!

Are you sure these guys are okay?? I mean, what exactly is this statement meant to achieve?? Personally, I was immensely disappointed when someone of Kolade's stature accepted the job of SURE-P when we all knew it was a ponzi scheme set up by Iweala, at the behest of her employer, to further fleece Nigerians.

Mr President, take heed while your ears are still intact. How many warnings do you need to retrace your steps??

Thanks you said it all.

Kolade worked for Jonathan for few months as sure-p chairman. Jonathan and his boys embezzled 500 billion naira sure-p money and offered Kolade his share. Kolade rejected the blood money and resigned from the thieving government.

simpleseyi:
Kolade worked for Jonathan for few months as sure-p chairman. Jonathan and his boys embezzled 500 billion naira sure-p money and offered Kolade his share. Kolade rejected the blood money and resigned from the thieving government.

He also didn't receive salary or allowance all through. I respect this man.

Ishilove, obinoscopy

w

simpleseyi:
Kolade worked for Jonathan for few months as sure-p chairman. Jonathan and his boys embezzled 500 billion naira sure-p money and offered Kolade his share. Kolade rejected the blood money and resigned from the thieving government.

Christopher Kolade is still fuming losing the lucrative and juicy position of Nigeria’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom. With his present utterances he might end up being ambassador in kirikiri prisons.

Mogidi:
Christopher Kolade is still fuming losing the lucrative and juicy position of Nigeria’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom. With his present utterances he might end up being ambassador in kirikiri prisons.

PDP might open his civil service file soon.

Descartes:
PDP might open his civil service file soon.

Mogidi:
Christopher Kolade is still fuming losing the lucrative and juicy position of Nigeria’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom. With his present utterances he might end up being ambassador in kirikiri prisons.

what is dis one saying?