http://www.leadership.ng/nga/articles/22846/2012/04/25/discipline_me_when_necessary_jonathan_tells_bamanga_tukur.html

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday
implored the leadership of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) to discipline and call
him or any other highly placed member of
the party to order if they should misbehave,
saying neither him nor any elected officer
was superior to the party.
Speaking when he hosted the new PDP
National Working Committee (NWC)
members Monday night at House 7,
Presidential Villa, Abuja, Jonathan who
noted that he could not be a maximum ruler
urged the NWC to ensure that members are
disciplined because if the party could not
enforce discipline, the PDP would just be
operating like a platform for independent
candidate.
He said: “PDP is a political party and as a
party, you must have guidelines and no
matter the office you are holding, the party
must be in a position to discipline or
admonish Mr. President if he deviates. In
South Africa, ANC can admonish the
President because the party is superior. And
that is why in the gathering of the party, the
party chairman takes precedence in order of
protocol. It shows that the President himself
is under the chairman.
“The President cannot be a maximum ruler;
the President is selected by the party and
must serve the party not the party serving
the President. So, if the President is
deviating, the President must be called upon
so that all we know that the party is supreme
and we must all follow the dictates of the
party.
“Nobody in the party, from the President to
the least person at the ward will be superior
to the party. So, you have a lot of challenges
in this direction to make sure that you instil
that kind of discipline. We will give you
maximum cooperation.”
Comparing the party at its present state to
what it looked like at inception, the president
observed that there were some changes,
adding that “every society is dynamic and we
expect to even get more and better changes
positively.”
Jonathan stated: “My cabinet is totally
committed and we will not come up with
any major programme without involving the
party. Both the Executive and Parliament
members belong to political parties and
political parties have manifestoes so whether
you are in the executive and parliamentary
arm of government, we all belong to our
party and we must project the agenda of the
party.
“Therefore, before we come up with any
major decision, we must present it to the
party and of course the ministers should
know that from time to time, the party will
ask you to brief them on what you are doing.
It has been a part of PDP that from time to
time; the party will call you because the
party must give the direction for both the
executive and parliamentary arms of
government.”
In his goodwill message, Chairman of last
national convention committee, Chief Ojo
Maduekwe noted that the party was on the
threshold of a new beginning, adding that
the credentials of the new NWC members
were intimidating and that with the new
chairman, Bamanga Tukur in charge, PDP
has truly come of age.