Abuja—An advocacy group, Centre for Democratic Renaissance, CDR, has lauded former President Goodluck Jonathan for rising to the festering crisis in Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, by coming out of his political hibernation to lead the latest and hopefully, the spell breaking peace initiative that could restore momentum to Nigeria’s main opposition party.

Executive Director of the group, Dr Mustapha Idris, who gave the commendation in a statement in Abuja yesterday, said: “Nigerians will certainly not forgive the PDP and their members, if it abandons its history   and surrender them by default to a dominant one party dictatorship.”

Goodluck Jonathan

He noted that as the de-facto national leader of the PDP, “ a party stretched and worn so soon, by its virgin opposition status, his gumption to step in and check the whirlwind, is a fact of statesmanship and a test of tact.”

The group also advised PDP chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, to suppress his big ego to avoid further hurting his   political career.

The statement read: “We are worried as a group, and Nigerians are apprehensive if not irritated, that a party that gave us our core democratic laurels so far, especially our best global testimonial, by superintending the most scientific and transparent elections yet, loosing in that election, and conceding defeat to midwife a seamless transfer of power, should lapse suddenly and remain unwell this long”

“This is why we underscore the urgency of this redemptive assignment by the former president, because his culture and temperament should resonate with all dedicated faithful, to clinically deworm the PDP of her infestations, restore the assurances of the big umbrella.”

and give the nation a functional opposition pedestal to advance the growth of our democracy.

“This is indeed the moment for every bruised heart, tired or betrayed, to stand up and prevail upon the ‘exultant combatants’ to eschew their egos for broader party cohesion and better leadership discipline.”

In a veiled warning to Senator Sheriff, the statement further said:  “As for Senator Ali Modu Sheriff it is not in our place to tell him how to run his party as the court recognized chairman of the PDP. But we are concerned with the way he is thoughtlessly standing up against the person of ex-President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

The former President has become an international brand, an icon of our democracy and a symbol of pride for all Nigerians across the political divide.

“Any attempt to rubbish him in order to score cheap political points is strongly condemned by all patriotic Nigerians. Any body towing that path is only doing it at his own peril because he will be irredeemably destroyed politically at the end of the day.

It said further: “To whom much is given much is certainly expected, because Nigerians who gave PDP four unbroken presidential tenures, should not appear to be scourged maybe for PDP’s   unrealised sixty years in power illusion.