18th December, 2014
Jamiu Yisa
The Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, has said that the choice for the 2015 presidential election is crystal clear, noting that, it is either Nigerians vote good luck or back luck.
Okupe while speaking at an event organised to unveil the candidate of President Goodluck Jonathan held at Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, said,” There are two candidates for next year’s election, it is between Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari. The choice in this election is crystal clear, it is either good luck or bad luck.” We are not there yet but we will get there very soon.”
“People say I am a Goodluck Jonathan fanatic and it is true. I stand for and work for what I believe. I have worked for two presidents and I speak because I believe in what I say. I do not wish to denigrate anybody. This Goodluck Jonathan is the very best that we have seen.
“There is no offense to compare ourselves with Goodluck Jonathan. The man Goodluck Jonathan bears a lot of burden, he keeps quiet, he is focused and does not talk anyhow so that Nigeria will remain one. There are members of the opposition that are deaf. It is not by coincidence that every good thing is happening in Nigeria,” he said.
Chairman, Northern Elders Council (NEC), Tanko Yakassai, said the Northern region of Nigeria will overwhelmingly vote for President Goodluck Jonathan in the forthcoming presidential election scheduled to hold on February, 14 2015.
Yakassai, who listed some of the giant strides of President Jonathan also commended the ruling PDP for giving the president a return ticket to fly the party’s in the presidential election.
He also commended the president for retaining Vice- President Namadi Sambo despite intense pressures from many quarters that he should be dropped.
“I am happy to know that President Goodluck Jonathan was endorsed by his party, the PDP, as its presidential candidate. I also want to congratulate his party, the PDP for introducing the method of right of first refusal to Nigeria and I hope other political parties will adopt this measure to prevent any form of rancour in political parties. This is the type of politics that we are looking for in this country, politics of ideas and programme,” he said.
Speaking on the Boko Haram issue and the government’s efforts to successfully tackle insurgency in the country, he said the claim in some quarters that Boko Haram was created by some elements to destabilise Jonathan’s administration or is being sponsored by the President to perpetuate himself in office is erroneous, adding that, Boko Haram has been in Nigeria since 2002.
“That the Boko Haram was created to frustrate Dr Goodluck Jonathan’s administration and that his administration was sponsoring Boko Haram, both impressions are wrong. Boko Haram came to the Nigerian scene way back in 2002, this was three years after President Obasanjo was sworn in 1999. That was the time Boko Haram started. The federal government has nothing to do with Boko Haram and no government will encourage insurgency against itself. Anyone who is saying that Boko Haram is created to destabilize Jonathan or is being sponsored by Jonathan is erroneous and wrong,” said Yakassai.
On Sambo’s endorsement as running mate, he said, “We, the North, are so grateful that he decided to retain Architect Namadi Sambo as his running mate. In the last five years, we have not heard of any rancour or disagreement between the President and his Vice. I hope that the President will ensure that he executes the recommendations of the National Conference especially the rotation of power so that each geo-political zone will have the opportunity of producing the president of this country.”
Chairman of the occasion and Second Republic Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the federation, Richard Akinjide (SAN) expressed optimism that President Goodluck Jonathan will emerge victorious in the 2015 presidential election.
“We are assembled here today to launch President Goodluck Jonathan, who is definitely going to be the next president of Nigeria. I have toured the whole country, after a fair assessment,I can boldly say that our candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan will be the next president of the country. I am going to make a prediction and that prediction is definitely going to come to pass. That prediction is we will win.”
Former Deputy National Chairman (South) of the PDP, Chief Olabode George while speaking on the need for Nigerians to vote for Jonathan’s second terms, said,”this man had the nerves that there was need for us to discuss the Nigerian project, he was not afraid to to allow us to discuss the Nigerian project and proferring solutions to them. If for any reason, he deserves our vote.
“He has also promised to execute the recommendations of the conference. The conference accepted that we have a State Police, devolution of powers and that local government should be given a special status.”
“We then set and recommended that there would no longer be immunity for governors. President Jonathan, in his magnanimity, allowed us to do at the conference, we now concluded that that document will be the new beginning of Nigeria. Why would we short changed the South South? Let us make sure that we actualise this on February 14, 2015 and you know that day is a special day, which is Valentine’s Day. Because today is a day of history, we are launching the candidate, Goodluck Jonathan,” he averred.
Speaking further, he said “anybody who wants to rule Nigeria, must have patience, we need that kind of man to take us to higher heights. It is also time we win Lagos State. Let me also advise those that lost during the governorship primaries, some will win, some will lose, there is time for everything.”
Senator Florence Ita-Giwa said “I have nothing much to say but that Nigeria believes in President Goodluck Jonathan. I always say to myself that what President Jonathan has faced has been unfair despite all the challenges. If other presidents have enjoyed two terms, Jonathan must also enjoy his two terms.”
Guest speaker at the event, Professor Dupe Olatunbosun said “I have looked at the presidential candidates of the two political parties (PDP and APC) and I intend to compare the two of presidential candidates because they have both served as presidents of this country.”
Olatubosun commended President Jonathan’s administration for his achievements in all sectors of the country.
“Despite all the challenges we are facing, Nigeria’s economy has improved to become the number one economy in Africa, but the problem I have is that the wealth of this country is still in the hands of some few. I see a lot to be done. Corruption needs to be combated in all fronts in our society.”
“During the Goodluck administration, the Freedom of Information bill was passed. We all know that when Buhari was Head of State of this country, he did not have the challenges president Jonathan had,” Olatubosun said.