President Goodluck Jonathan has given defectors to opposition parties one last chance to return to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party or suffer their fate in silence.
He handed down the ultimatum in Owerri where he went for a political rally which saw some senior politicians in Imo defect to the PDP.
Those who rejoined the ranks of the PDP were, former governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa; Senator Chris Anyawu; Senator Ifeanyi Araraume; Chief Mike Ahamba; Chief Cosmas Iwu; Chief Lambert Iheanacho and Hon. Independence Ogunewe.
Speaking at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Jonathan said “The message today is very clear and I believe some of my good friends are not here. We have opened the door for a few days. You join us these few days, the position you occupy is the position any other person will occupy. No discrimination.
“But if you don’t come and come later, you will queue behind your ward’s assistant chairman.
“So, the time to join us is now so that there will be nothing like discrimination in anything. The party is open for everybody. Equal rights and justice is guaranteed. We are a party that believes in justice and so, we must also believe in equal rights.
“For us, Imo State PDP has come together, everybody has equal rights, there is no discrimination. We call on all of you who are still watching that this is the best time to join us so that you can use the platform of PDP to express any interest you have.”
Jonathan said there was no democracy in Nigeria without the PDP.
“sometime in Nigeria, the young people get worried because we the politicians sometimes don’t even know what to convey to them by what we do.
“You ask ourselves, why should any person join a political party. There must be a reason for you to join a political party. The political scientists will give you so many theoretical reasons but those of us who are practical politicians will say that the first thing that drives you is the ideology of the party.
“And maybe the next thing you consider is whether the party is stable because nobody will go where experiments are still being done.
“And if you look at the PDP, you will know that among all the political parties, and that is true, they also know because you asked me to be here, I travel all over the world and I discuss with the high and mighty, and the tell you that, look, Nigeria is PDP and that anything that happens to PDP, it is not only Nigerians that get worried; other heads of state, especially in Africa, get worried because all of them believe that PDP is the only stabilising factor in the Nigerian political journey.
“There will no democracy without PDP and the reasons are obvious. In terms of ideology, since we started the PDP, the name has not changed, identity has not changed, the logo has not changed, the motto has not changed, our slogan has not changed.
“It shows that the party still believes in what they are because we believe we are doing the right thing and there is no need for mutation.
“If you talk about the promotion of democratic principles and the rule of law, you will agree with me that even some of the states where PDP lost election, including Imo State, where some people had to step aside because there were some problems in the party that were not too democratic and that is why you see these people stepping aside but now have come back.
“And of course, PDP has always been the best even when we have issues. Now, we must follow the rule of law and completely follow the concept and principle o democracy. And when you talk about inclusiveness, it is only PDP that people like me could be elected as president of this country.
“You don’t need to be a money bag to buy people. What you need to do is to be yourself and be a person of worthy character. The party will identify you and use you.”