The Nigeria Police Force has announced that vehicular traffic into Abuja Central Business District will be diverted from 5;00am to 8:00pm on Tuesday because “of a major event taking place at Eagle Square Abuja tomorrow Tuesday, 11th November, 2014.” The statement by Ag.CP Emmanuel Ojukwu Force Public Relations Officer was actually referring to President Jonathan’s official declaration for the 2015 presidential race on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party PDP ,without saying so.
Ojukwu said further ,“Members of the public are advised to use alternative routes, as vehicular traffic will be diverted from most of the roads leading in and out of Eagle Square Central Business District, Abuja between 0500am and 0800pm of Tuesday, 11th November, 2014.”
“The Nigeria Police Force regrets any inconvenience the diversion of vehicular movements within the area may cause members of the public, as this is one of the proactive security measures put in place to avoid break down of law and order in the area and Abuja at large.
Meanwhile , the PDP has said Tuesday’s declaration by President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 presidential election is an immeasurable boost on the collective aspiration of millions of members of the party for the greatness of Nigeria through the continuity of the quiet, all sector transformation of the nation.
The PDP said “the champion, the best of them all is on the stage”, inviting the opposition to a free, fair and non-violent contest.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, Monday, said the unanimous endorsement of the President for a second term by the party, “a decision anchored firmly on the overriding necessity for an unmitigated protection of the national interest against the backdrop of sectional and selfish machinations squirming from the ranks of opposition, “is a case for a total support from all Nigerians and friends of Nigeria.
It further said the acceptance of the offer made to him by the party after weeks of wide consultation and deep thought for national service, culminating in tomorrow’s declaration, is a significant fresh assurance of better days ahead from a President who does more and talks less.
“Here, therefore, we re-present to Nigeria, a President who in 2011 promised “he would not win our affection by promises of things he would do “and has gone ahead to fulfill such through dynamic examples in humility, selflessness and re-engineering of the nation’s human and material infrastructures”.
“We present for re-election, the President who has achieved more in four years despite deliberate attempts to derail his focus, than any Nigerian leader, military or civilian has recorded in the same number of years”.
The statement added that the PDP was proud that the efforts of the President have been complemented at the state level by the brilliance of the PDP state governors whose dedication to the improvement of the lots of the people has proved beyond all doubts, the merits of democracy as the best form of government.
It said the sterling performance of PDP governors abound in all PDP states citing Akwa Ibom and Jigawa states, where Governors Godswill Obot Akpabio and Sule Lamido respectively have turned hitherto insignificant spots on the map of Nigeria into national and international destinations.
“In all these, we challenge the opposition to prove us wrong. We challenge that no Nigerian in good conscience will deny that the PDP has significantly taken the nation far away from the tethers of backwaters it was in fifteen years ago.
“We challenge that breaking away from the yoke of a pariah nation, from the stranglehold of a debtor nation- the noose of Paris club and the opening up of Nigeria via an uninterrupted 15 years of democracy, the fresh air of freedom, the rule of law, transparency and due process, the magic of modern information and communication technology and above all, the centripetal pull on the unity of the nation by the PDP as the only truly national political party do not deserve continuity.”
“Again, we state, we are the best. We hold the best and we represent the best.”