<\/p>\n
President Goodluck Jonathan has described the ruling Peoples Democratic
\nParty as a party of democrats and not that of hooligans, assuring that,
\nnext month\u2019s election will be internationally certified as free and fair.<\/p>\n
Jonathan stated this at the inauguration of the PDP presidential campaign
\norganisation held in Abuja today. The presidential campaign organisation
\nheaded by Dr. Ahmadu Ali, is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring
\nthat Jonathan and vice president, Namadi Sambo are returned into office
\nfor a second term.<\/p>\n
In his remarks at the official inauguration, Jonathan warned the campaign
\nteam against pulling down other people\u2019s posters, noting that, \u201cit is
\nprimitive. Please, do not join them. Every Nigerian must be free to
\ncampaign anywhere\u201d.<\/p>\n
Jonathan is optimistic that with his campaign team he will be reelected
\npresident. \u201cI am fully convinced that not only are you up to the task
\nindividually or as a team, but that you also have all that it takes \u2013 the
\npassion, intellect, drive, commitment, and the know-how to run a focused,
\nrobust and purposeful campaign that will further endear our ticket to the
\nelectorate and bring us victory once again\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany of you are tested veterans of political campaigns. As we embark
\nformally on the campaigns for our re-election, our party, the People\u2019s
\nDemocratic Party will depend on you. I am also personally counting on you.
\nI ask you to take on this assignment for your great party, for Goodluck
\nJonathan and Namadi Sambo, and also, more importantly, for the country as
\na whole.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout doubt, the forthcoming elections mark a critical point in our
\nnation\u2019s history. The eyes of the international community are focused on
\nthe transition that lies ahead of us; the fifth post-military rule general
\nelections that will be conducted under a civilian dispensation in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe world is asking: will Nigeria get it right? My categorical response
\nto that is: Yes, we must. And surely, we will. It is your duty to ensure
\nthat through your campaigns, and activities, this primary objective is not
\nlost.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur commitment to free, fair, credible, and violence-free elections
\nremains unshaken. That should also be your own commitment as we go to the
\nfield to seek the people\u2019s mandate once again.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou must always remember that we are a party of democrats, not a party of
\nhooligans. We are a party of patriots, not a party of renegades. We are a
\nparty of statesmen and women. We are a party of builders, not destroyers.
\nWe are a party of committed servants of the people. You must let our
\npeople see once again, that we are in this to serve and to move Nigeria
\nforward, not to move Nigeria backwards.<\/p>\n
Jonathan then charged them that no cause his greater than that of Nigeria.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the coming campaigns and elections, we must see to it that Nigeria
\ntriumphs, and that democracy wins. No other cause can be greater than the
\nNigerian cause. Without Nigeria, there will be no President.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have an obligation to consolidate our democracy, strengthen our
\ninstitutions and project Nigeria positively by running a disciplined,
\nissues-based and civilized campaign. That is my charge to you all.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am especially inspired by the positive energy, the optimism, and the
\nenthusiasm among our party leaders and members. There may be issues
\narising from the party primaries, which have led to some of our members
\nexpressing grievances. But this is the time for all of us to come together
\nand work as one family. At the end of the day, every one of us will be
\nuseful in one way or the other.<\/p>\n
\u201cI call on all party members to stand as one in the face of the assignment
\nahead of us. Losing a party primary should not result in a loss of faith
\nin the party. No election should be a do or die contest. Whatever
\ngrievances we have can be resolved within the family and will be resolved.
\nThere is a job to be done, and all loyal members of our great party must
\nplay their expected roles.<\/p>\n
\u201cI urge members of the Presidential Campaign Organization to go round the
\ncountry, propagating our message of transformation and continuity. I urge
\nyou to fully mobilise all the party faithful in every ward and every
\ndistrict to work for the victory we require to take our agenda for
\nnational transformation forward to a successful conclusion for the benefit
\nof present and future generations of Nigerians.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have everything that it takes to run an excellent and victorious
\ncampaign. Our great party has demonstrated to Nigerians that it is the
\nparty with the broadest appeal. We are the strongest and the biggest. We
\nhave engaged the people of Nigeria positively with people-friendly
\npolicies, which have moved Nigeria forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stated that despite the security challenges that his government
\ninherited, it is determined to win the war. \u201cWe have sustained the
\ndemocratic tradition. We have strengthened democratic institutions. We
\ninherited a rather complex security challenge but we are waging a
\ndetermined war against it. We are succeeding in preventing terrorists and
\ninsurgents from turning more of our communities into enclaves for their
\ndastardly activities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe remain fully committed to further empowering the security agencies to
\nenable them win the war against terror. We have proven to the people that
\nwe are a party and a team that they can rely upon. In the last four years,
\ndespite the security challenges we have had to contend with, Nigeria,
\nunder our watch, has made significant strides in every aspect. Our economy
\ntoday is the largest and the strongest in the African continent, and a
\npreferred destination for foreign direct investment.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have focused on job creation and the expansion of opportunities for
\nour teeming youth as well as interventions to promote Micro, Small and
\nMedium Scale Enterprises. Through an internationally acclaimed
\ntransformational agricultural programme, we have re-established
\nagriculture as a business, and a major driver of economic growth.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, not only is the agricultural sector thriving, the value chains in
\nthe sector have been activated and have become productive. The country\u2019s
\nfood import bill has been reduced, and the non-oil sector has witnessed
\nsignificant growth. We have expanded access to education by providing
\nschools and facilities at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
\nToday, there is a Federal University in every state of the Federation, and
\nevery Nigerian child has been given the opportunity to go to school.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have successfully privatized the power sector: a process that was
\nadjudged by the international community of investors as transparent and
\ncredible. Our trains are moving again, from Lagos to Kano, from Lagos to
\nIbadan, from Port Harcourt to Enugu.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not campaigning to you who are already convinced. I have no doubts
\nthat you are all familiar with the achievements of this administration.
\nBut I have outlined a few of them to show that we are in a solid position
\nto run a campaign based on our commendable record.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur creditable performance in the past four years should be our strongest
\nselling point as we go to the campaign fields. Flaunt our achievements in
\nall parts of the country, tell the story of what we have achieved and let
\nthe facts and the figures be heard in every nook and cranny of Nigeria.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn doing this, you must be civil, decorous and law-abiding. I have
\nrepeatedly promised Nigerians and the international community that as much
\nas it lies within our powers, the coming general elections will be free,
\nfair, credible and violence-free. I made that pledge with all seriousness
\nand I fully intend to fulfill it.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs agents of the ruling party, all eyes will be on you during the
\ncampaign and elections. I therefore expect nothing but the highest
\nstandards of exemplary conduct from you as your worthy contribution to the
\nfulfillment of our pledge of peaceful and successful elections. Some other
\npoliticians and campaigners are threatening fire and brimstone. Do not
\njoin them. Some other parties are pulling down other people\u2019s posters.
\nThat is primitive. Please, do not join them. Every Nigerian must be free
\nto campaign anywhere.<\/p>\n
He then stated that the elections will be violence-free. \u201cThugs, violence
\nand malpractice or rigging must have no place in our campaign and
\nelectoral activities. Do not join those who threaten to start fires and
\nturn them into infernos in our country.<\/p>\n
\u201cI assure you and all Nigerians that whoever foments trouble before,
\nduring and after the elections will be promptly and decisively dealt with
\naccording to the law. With all our party leaders and members, we are going
\ninto this election season to legitimately seek our peoples\u2019 mandate for
\nfurther service, consolidation and continuity of progress for our country.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must place our hope for victory in nothing else but the support and
\nconfidence of the great majority of our people, and the blessing of
\nAlmighty God. We will ensure that the people\u2019s vote counts and that their
\nwill prevails, as it should, in every true democracy,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
President Goodluck Jonathan has described the ruling Peoples Democratic Party as a party of democrats and not that of hooligans, assuring that, next month\u2019s election will be internationally certified…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32633,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n