Below is a statement from Prof. Jerry Gana in Thisday Newspaper today.

This man was part of this administration for almost eight years and has been a  member of PDP from inception. He found nothing wrong with either the government or the PDP until he lost the party's presidential primaries and now he is talking thrash, trying to score cheap political points, just like Atiku. Where was he all these years when PDP was taking Nigeria downhill ?

I am not a member of PDP and I hate that party with a passion. I am not in love with this government either and sincerely look forward to a better government but people like Jerry Gana, who have been part of Nigeria failed governments for years now should stop talking in public and instead go and bury his head in shame and ask God for forgiveness for the role he has played as part of government[b]s[/b] that have failed Nigeria over the years.

I love Osuntokun's reply to Gana's statement

Gana: Nigeria Heading for Confusion, Chaos
• He’s indicting himself – Presidency
04.02.2007

The former Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees and a former presidential aspirant of the party, Prof. Jerry Gana, yesterday said Nigeria may be heading for confusion and chaos as a result of the refusal of the party leadership to allow genuine democracy to thrive.
But the Political Adviser to the President, Bashorun Akin Osuntokun last night described Gana's statement as more an indictment on himself than the president or the PDP.
Gana, until recently one of President Olusegun Obasanjo's close associates and former Minister/Political Adviser, spoke on the performance profile of the PDP in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by his spokesman, Dan Unimna.
According to Gana, the failure of the PDP government in the last eight years derived directly from the violations of the values, principles and ideals on which party was founded.
The statement from Gana's office reads: “As the foundation secretary of the PDP and the pioneer Secretary of the Board of Trustees which was designed to be the conscience of the party, Professor Gana remains genuinely shocked by the numerous violations of the principles, values and ideals upon which the party was founded, especially the democratic principles of power to the people.
"He is therefore sad to see that in a number of situations, peoples' aspirations and choices have been undermined and even subverted.
“Prof. Gana remains convinced that any democratic system that refuses to acknowledge and respect the sanctity of voter’s choice as the final arbiter in any election will ultimately lead to confusion, chaos and acrimony.
“Unless and until we restore the power back to the voter, the crises of succession will continue. No amount of self help, either by the power of might, manipulations or pseudo legislation can replace the real and genuine power of the people to choose their own leaders at all levels.
"He therefore hopes that the forthcoming elections will be free, fair and credible and transparent in all parts of the country. If this happens, the Nigerian people will be delighted to see the emergence of new and credible leadership across the country.
“In other words, Prof. Gana believes that genuine democracy is the key to social peace, harmony, stability and progress.
“Prof Gana is totally opposed to any attempt to manipulate, rig or truncate the elections because that will create enormous problems for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“If Nigerians cannot enjoy genuine development, if they cannot enjoy light in their homes, if they cannot enjoy adequate security of life, if they cannot afford adequate food on their tables, if they cannot find jobs for millions of unemployed youths, if they cannot have access to good healthcare, let them at least have peace to live their lives in their hope of better tomorrow by the grace of God.
“Prof. Gana calls on Nigerians to continue to pray for the unity, peace and progress for our cherished fatherland and prays that the forthcoming elections will indeed be peaceful, credible, free and fair.”


[b]Meanwhile, the Political Adviser to the President, Bashorun Akin Osuntokun last night described Gana's statement as more an indictment on himself than the president or the PDP.
According to Osuntokun, Nigerians should ask Gana to reconcile his latest statement with what he has been saying about this administration until he lost the PDP presidential ticket.
"It is unfortunate that Gana for whom I have respect would say what was credited to him and that tells a lot about his credibility.
"It is sad that in crucial moments like this some people would choose to promote self-interest in order to score cheap points because they failed to get a party ticket. It is unfortunate.
"What Gana has done with that statement is to show that he has been pretending to the president all along and while he has the right to be angry about his failure at the primaries, honour demands that he should keep quiet considering the role he has played under this administration.
"It's like me speaking ill of the president because I was not allowed to participate at the PDP gubernatorial primaries in Ekiti State on the spurious grounds that I was friend to former Governor Ayo Fayose.
"That statement is more an indictment on Gana than the president or the PDP and in moments of introspection now or in the future, he would realise he has done more damage to his own credibility."[/b]

In a related development, the PDP has announced the expulsion of all members of the party who have been given electoral tickets on the platform of another political party.