Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih has said that President Goodluck Jonathan has touched the lives of all Nigerians because of his commendable performance in all sectors of our national lives.
He also called on the north and south-south to strengthen their alliance by voting for President Goodluck Jonathan.
Anenih in a statement released on Sunday said “In all the democratic elections in Nigerian history in which a Northerner had contested, statistics show that the South-South often voted overwhelmingly for such a candidate.
“In the First Republic, political parties in the South-South were in alliance with the Northern Peoples Congress while in 1979, the South-South people voted massively for Alhaji Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).
Most recently, the zone also voted massively for Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua who got over 80% of the votes in all the States of the South-South.
“What I ask of you is to reciprocate this show of solidarity and vote massively for our son, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, on February 14, 2015. This will only be a fair reward for the consistency of our friendship.
“I need to emphasise that this is the first time that the South-south has had the opportunity to produce the president of Nigeria. It is an opportunity for which we have been grateful since 2011. However, the people of the zone would feel short-changed, if they were to be denied the opportunity to have a full complement of tenure. A second term for President Jonathan, who remains the best candidate for the presidency, will be the only just arrangement that the people of the zone would cherish.
“May I say that the choice of voting for President Jonathan has been made easy for us all by his commendable performance in all the sectors of our national life during his first tenure. In agriculture, the economy, infrastructure, education, women and youth empowerment, the Jonathan administration has touched the lives of all Nigerians.
“I seek your massive support for President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential election on February 14. We need to continue to strengthen the bridge of unity and understanding among all the peoples of this great nation. It is only by making concessions and compromises that we can transform our diversity into great strength. There is no greater time for concessions and compromises than now.”
He also cautioned against political violence, he said “May I take this opportunity to call for moderation in our electioneering and politicking. The threat of violence right from the time the presidential candidate of the APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, changed his mind that he would contest is unfortunate.
“We would reasonably refuse to accept a situation where a Nigerian, whether from the North or the South, would start his political journey with a threat that the baboon and the dog would be soaked in their own blood if what happened in 2011 happens in 2015; whereas 2011 election was adjudged by international and domestic observers as the best election that we ever had in the nation’s poll history.
“I know the antecedents of each of the presidential candidates on parade for the 2015 election. I also know that the threat of violence or rejection of anticipated election victory will not change the will of God.”
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