Prof. Jubril Aminu is a founding member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP). He was also at different times the Minister of Education and Petroleum Resources. He was equally a senator. In this interview, he speaks on the PDP crisis, saying the attempt by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and some governors to break away from the mainstream PDP is borne out of the need to remain politically relevant.
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According to him, President Goodluck Jonathan should concentrate on delivering on the mandate given to him by Nigerians and worry less about second term, which, he says, the president would get on a platter, if Nigerians see him as performing.
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How do you see the breakaway moves of some PDP members led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, some governors and former national officers of the party?
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What they did is nothing to worry about. Democracy is partly about the expression of personal opinions.
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There is nothing in jumping ship by any party member under democracy. As an original founding member of the PDP, I have been around all the time and I can be described as a major stakeholder in Nigeria and my state of Adamawa.
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I don't support what they did and I also presume that what they did was not motivated by their love for the country but by personal ego and a way to salvage themselves from the situation in which they have found themselves. I suspect that when we get to know the extent of the forces behind the move, one would be surprised to see powerful people inside and outside the PDP, not necessarily governors, who are trying to settle scores or re-direct the party in some ways or just playing mischief.
So many people are just throwing stones up and down in that political party. They need to focus on more important issues though!