As President Goodluck Jonathan finally declares to contest the 2015 presidential election,one of the major partners in the the re-election campaign, Goodluck Voters’ Forum( GVF) says the President will win the elections on merit because Nigerians are ready to come out en-mass and vote for him based on his achievements.
Rising from the Forum’s national executive meeting in Abuja yesterday,GVF said in a statement signed by the National Coordinator,Esanerovo Agbodo and the National Publicity Secretary,Mr Udo Silas that “Nigerian voters will vote for President Goodluck Jonathan because of his current achievements and also due to the vision he has been pursuing to enthrone a better future for all Nigerians irrespective of ethnic and religious background.”
Also speaking at the venue of the meeting,Alhaji Ahmed Salisu,the national secretary of the group stated that “gone are the days when ethnicity and religion were promoted above good governance. What we need is good leadership and any qualified Nigerian who has a good agenda should be supported without any form of sentiment. What Nigerians need is food on their tables, good jobs,good health and good infrastructures and other good projects to drive the economy positively. President Goodluck Jonathan is doing all these as well as driving Nigeria in the right direction,so let us come together and re-elect him come 2015.”
The group therefore enjoined Nigerian voters to put sentiments aside and assess the achievements and vision of Mr. President since he assumed office, stating that “it is very clear that the he is building a new Nigeria of prosperity and abundance for all.”
“The President has demonstrated over and over again that he is committed to building a new Nigeria in terms of economic development as well as in evolving a sustainable democratic culture. His policies and programmes are people oriented. Moreover, he is building a new election culture devoid of election rigging and imposition of candidates in Nigeria.”
In the past, most Nigerian Presidents and Heads of State had overwhelming influence in the outcomes of elections either within their parties or in the general elections, but President Jonathan has demonstrated that he is committed to evolving a Nigeria where anybody can aspire and win elections if popular. Within his first tenure, Governors of opposition parties have been elected in different States without interference from the presidency, even in an era where a Governor in an opposition party in the South-South gave the go ahead for the announcement of a Chairmanship election result in favour of his party’s candidate when votes were still being counted at polling units.
“The recent gubernatorial elections in Ekiti and Osun States further proves that Mr. President is more interested in strengthening democratic values than just winning elections,” the statement noted.
“This is the kind civilized leadership that Nigerians deserve, so Nigerian voters from all walks of life should rally around President Jonathan to re-elect him come 2015.”
Our resolve is that Mr. President has done well and let anyone doubting this claim prove otherwise through records and not through whipping unnecessary sentiments, the statement concluded.
