PRESIDENT JONATHAN DESERVES RESPECT FROM ACN



We have observed what is obviously becoming a pastime of the National Publicity Secretary of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in disrespecting not only the Office of the President but also the person of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.



The ACN spokesman obviously went overboard in the statement he made on Wednesday, which was full of disparaging words about the President. Mohammed advised President Jonathan "to take a long, hard look at himself in the mirror if he truly wants to see the face of a party leader who is fast turning his party into a one-man show," because the President said his party, the PDP, is the only truly democratic party in Nigeria.



The ACN spokesman also accused President Jonathan of failing to "show deep introspection in his public comments," of "rushing to exhibit soap-box mentality," and calling him "a highly partisan and easily excitable President."



We consider this denigration of the Office and Person of the President in the name of opposition politics, as clearly unhealthy politics, and completely tactless.



The ACN spokesman repeatedly resorts to personal attacks and disparaging remarks about the President. It is Mohammed who needs to take a long, hard look at himself in the mirror and ask whether his party is truly a democratic party.



President Jonathan is a humble gentleman who has shown his value at moments of deep crisis as a loyal and thoughtful leader. Recall his measured response and handling of the constitutional crisis in 2010. Far from being excitable, Jonathan has handled unprecedented attacks on his character and Presidency with dignity and humour.



A highly experienced, scholarly and non-partisan President Jonathan cannot fit into such negative space as cast by Mohammed. Only national interests have dictated this President's governance policies, choice of states to visit and events to attend, as exemplified by his consecutive visits to ACN-controlled Ogun State to commission cement factories and attending the burial of the late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu in APGA-controlled Anambra State.



The Office of the President is a national institution that must survive its temporary occupants. Those who seem to be deriving childish excitement from attacking the President, under the guise of playing politics, should refrain from bringing that institution into disrepute.



The time for electioneering campaigns and trying to score cheap political points, by any means possible, must be separated from the time for delivering dividends of democracy. The occupant of the Number One office in the land is father of all and not of one party.



President Jonathan's description of the PDP as the only truly democratic party should be seen as a wake-up call to other political parties, as well as political leaders, to live out their democratic pretensions in the full glare of the public. Is it not public knowledge that some political parties, despite preaching democracy, lack internal democracy and thrive in imposing candidates? Indeed, we have seen a dominant culture whereby wives, children, in-laws and other family members emerge as candidates without credible primaries in the same political parties that the President complained about.



Alhaji Lai Mohammed needs to be reminded that the ACN's culture of throwing abusive and disparaging comments is getting out of control. His attention also needs to be drawn to the fact that even in the South West where the ACN claims to run the show, the party’s intolerance seems to have heightened after recent losses in some states of the region causing the true character of its leaders to emerge under pressure. Now after openly insulting Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State and calling for "his removal" at a Tuesday event at the Lagos City Hall, which was meant to deliberate on unifying the Southwest, for no other reason than that Mimiko refused to "see the light" and cross over to the ACN, should it not become clear to all that Mr. President's words were indeed justified?



Reuben Abati

Special Adviser (Media & Publicity) to the President

March 8, 2012

ACN: Our statement borne out of deep respect for office of President

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has rejected the characterisation of its regular constructive criticism of the Jonathan administration as an indication of disrespect for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, saying that is simply not the case.

In a statement issued in Ilorin on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the statement by the President's Spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, in which he made the
allegation, was so defensive that it easily gives the Spokesman away as someone more eager to keep his plum job than to convince Nigerians that his boss' actions and statements are dignifying his high office.

''For the avoidance of doubt, we have nothing but the highest respect for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In fact, it is for that reason that we issued the statement in which we advised the President to refrain from making statements that will make him look more partisan than presidential.

''There is nothing 'disparaging' or constituting 'personal attacks' in asking the President to look at himself in the mirror or to show deep introspection in his public comments, and we are sure a brilliant fellow like Dr. Abati knows that very well, if he could momentarily remove his snout from the nectar of office.

''Unfortunately, in his eagerness to be seen to be working hard in defending his boss, Dr. Abati simply echoed what we said in our statement that seems to have rankled him so much. For example, Dr Abati wrote ' The time for electioneering campaigns and trying to score cheap political points, by any means possible, must be separated from the time for delivering dividends of democracy. The occupant of the
Number One office in the land is father of all and not of one party.'

This is exactly what we are saying!'' ACN said.

The party said it (ACN) should be counted out of those who have engaged in ''unprecedented attacks'' on the character of the President, saying an analysis of its press statements over the years will show a party that has been measured in its use of words, dignified in its stance on issues and consistent on the need for the government of the day to ensure good governance and total respect for the rule of law.

''While we will continue to show nothing but total respect for the office of the President, we will not be cowed into relenting in engaging in regular constructive criticism of the government of the day. Not even the thinly-veiled threat contained in Dr. Abati's statement, that 'Alhaji Lai Mohammed needs to be reminded that the ACN's culture of throwing abusive and disparaging comments is getting out of control', will be enough to make us shirk our role as the nation's biggest opposition party.


''While we will ignore the barbs thrown in our direction by Dr. Abati in his statements, we will however like to remind him that the decision by President Jonathan to visit any state (including Ogun), is purely within the demands of his office as President, and should not be used to blackmail the ACN or any other party for that matter into keeping quiet when things are obviously going wrong,'' the party said.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)
Ilorin, March 8th 2012