Jonathan advises aspirants to shun do-or-die politics

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President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria

President Goodluck Jonathan
President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday dissolved the Presidential Declaration Committee with a plea to all PDP aspirants to shun do-or-die tendencies during party primaries and the general elections.

Jonathan spoke when he hosted members of the committee to a luncheon at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The president said that the world would not end for those who would lose, adding that their loss might mean that God had better responsibilities for them.

“Let me use this unique opportunity to plead with all of us who are aspiring for electoral offices that the world does not begin and end with the office you are looking for.

“Sometimes, you would be looking for an office, you may not be able to get it for one reason or the other.

“Let us say somebody blocked you, so be it, let somebody block you. But if God wants something better for you, even after that blocking you will get something else.

“I plead with all of us that we should not play the do or die: ‘Except I get it, let the party sink’.

“We are taking inventory of all what is happening in all the states and I promise that we will try and use as many people as possible.

“There are challenges in some states. People may deliberately block you. You may even be the best candidate in that particular constituency but let us move ahead.

“In my own life, the things I look for I hardly get. It’s what I don’t even think about that sometimes that I get, and I believe most of you will smile.

“But collectively, first and foremost, let us unite the party, work together for our collective victory and I believe after that most of us will have one thing or the other to do,” he stated.

Describing himself as a privileged aspirant by virtue of his endorsement as the sole presidential candidate of the party, and wished other aspirants at various levels success.

Jonathan thanked members of the declaration committee for their commitment and hard work which resulted in the success of the event.

He also expressed gratitude to the leadership and members of the PDP, saying that their support and steadfastness in the face of challenges were instrumental to the achievements so far recorded by his administration.

“I don’t intend to say too much, but just to use this unique opportunity to thank you here for all your support, even before the declaration, for me and the vice president and your support for government.

“In the Nigerian political history this is one period that we really have a lot of opposition coming up everyday.

“But for your support probably we couldn’t have achieved the little we have achieved.

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“No matter the lies people tell – sponsored stories and so on – you’ve been very solid, you’ve been very committed and you’ve been supporting us; we remain grateful.

“I’m yet to see those who will beat PDP. They will continue to make the noise, but they cannot beat us, because the gap between PDP and others is astronomical.

“And the way we do things is different from the way they do things; the way we talk and the way they talk are very different; the way we reason is different from the way they do.

“Our commitment to transforming this country and their thinking about Nigeria are very different.

“And I promise you my party men and women and indeed all Nigerians that with your support, collectively, we must move this country to where we want it to be.

“Everyday, every week and every month we must add something, we must change and continue to change.”

Earlier, the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, described
Jonathan as one of the most successful leaders the country had had in recent times.

He congratulated the president for what he had done and what he would do for the country when elected in 2015.

Mu’azu stated that the leadership and members of the party and Nigerians in general were happy that the president answered their calls to seek re-election.

He prayed God to protect and grant him more wisdom and courage to lead the country to the promised land in the next four years.

The PDP national chairman said that it was time for all members of the party to unite and renew their commitment and loyalty to the party and development of the country.

Chairman of the declaration committee, Dr Haliru Mohammed, thanked the president on behalf of members for giving them the opportunity to serve.

Mohammed stated that Nigerians were very happy that Jonathan gave them the opportunity to re-elect him to continue his good works of transformation.

He said that the large turnout at the event was a show of appreciation by Nigerians of what the president had done and would continue to do for the country.

Mohammed assured Jonathan that from what he saw at the declaration event and what he had heard, the PDP remained the party of choice in Nigeria.

Present at the luncheon were members of the Federal Executive Council, members of the National Assembly, party leaders and chieftains.

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