PDP CHALLENGES APC CANDIDATE TO A PUBLIC DEBATE, SAYS DELEGATES TO RATIFY JONATHAN’S ENDORSEMENT TOMORROW By Henry Umoru ABUJA- NATIONAL leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has challenged whoever emerges as the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC to a public debate where competence, performance would form the issues of discourse. The Presidential aspirants of the APC who want the ticket to represent the party during next year’s election are former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari; former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano; Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State; and Publisher, leadership Newspapers, Sam Nda- Isaiah. The PDP also boasted that it would defeat all the APC presidential aspirants put together, just as it urged the opposition party to present the former head of State and 2011 Presidential candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change, CPC, General Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its Presidential and Vice presidential candidates for the 2015 Presidential election. Rochas Okorocha, Muhammadu Buhari, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Atiku Abubakar and Sam Nda- Isaiah. Rochas Okorocha, Muhammadu Buhari, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Atiku Abubakar and Sam Nda- Isaiah. Addressing Journalists yesterday at PDP National Secretariat on the National Convention, PDP National Publicity Secretary and Chairman, Convention Publicity Committee, Chief Olisa Metuh who disclosed that 3,073 Delegates would converge on Abuja to vote and ratify the endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan as PDP’s sole presidential candidate for next year’s election. According to him, delegates will in line with the party’s 2014 guidelines and the Electoral Act vote for President Jonathan on Thursday despite his sole candidature, adding that at today’s convention, delegates would formally vote and ratify the appointment of PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu; the National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo and the National Auditor, Adewale Adeyanju to enable them perform effectively in their various positions. Metuh who challenged who will be the APC’s Presidential candidate to issue- based campaign, of ideology, devoid of lies, propaganda and insults, said, “Let us elevate the conduct of this election. We will base it on who is best for this country in terms of unity of this nation, who is best to stabilise our public policy, who is best to lead us to prosperity. On those three and other issues we will debate 0with whoever is the candidate of APC”. President Goodluck Jonathan displaying Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms at the Peoples Democratic Partys Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday (30/10/14). President Goodluck Jonathan displaying Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms at the People’s Democratic Party’s Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday (30/10/14). On Jonathan’s candidacy, Metuh said, “We have a very good product to sell to Nigerians. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will win the 2015 presidential poll based on his popularity. We are today sending notice to the opposition party, the APC to expect a crushing defeat at the poll. In view of our confidence, preparedness and the popularity of our candidate, we declare and urge the APC to put forward its two frontline aspirants in one pot, namely: Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Alhaji Atiku as joint presidential candidates with their collective credentials and followership to face our president, Goodluck Jonathan. For us in the PDP, we are certain that with the grassroot support and love we enjoy from Nigerians across board, President Goodluck jonathan will secure an emphatic victory against any presidential candidate of the APC or all the candidates put together as one.” On the issue of Mrs Akasoba Duke- Abiola who is insisting that she would contest for the presidential primaries as an aspirant, the party noted that nobody would stop her provided she complies with the requirements of the party, just as it stressed that she was given the opportunity to come forward for her forms, but she refused. According to Metuh, ” As longs she has complied with the requirements of the party, nobody can stop her from participating.” It would be recalled that the National Executive Committee, NEC of PDP, September, 18 th at its 66 th meeting, adopted President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s sole Presidential candidate to be ratified at the National Convention ahead of 2015 Presidential election. According to NEC, the move to endorse the President as the sole candidate, thereby closing the gates against any intending presidential aspirant became imperative because no serious party would change a winning team like President Jonathan who has performed with his transformation agenda and has also changed the face and well being of Nigerians. Speaking further on the National Convention, Metuh said, “As a Party, we are going into the conduct of our presidential primaries, in particular, with great excitement, knowing very well that we are keeping an appointment with the destiny of our nation as embodied by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who is both president of our nation and candidate of our Party on the occasion of our presidential primaries at the Eagle Square. “The PDP is rest assured that we have a very good product to sell to Nigerians. We are confident that President Jonathan, as our candidate, is primed to win the 2015 presidential election based on his popularity deriving from his forthrightness, humility and steadfastness to the Nigerian project coupled with his record of verifiable achievements. “We are today serving notice to the opposition APC to expect a crushing defeat at the polls. In view of our confidence, preparedness and the popularity of our candidate, we declare that the APC can put forth its two frontline aspirants in one bunch, namely General Muhammadu Buhari and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as joint presidential candidates with their collective credentials and followership to face our candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan. “For us in the PDP, it is neither a matter of conjecture nor propaganda; we are certain that with the grassroots support and the love he enjoys from Nigerians across board, President Jonathan will secure an emphatic victory at the polls. “With President Jonathan our nation will continue in the path of unity, stability and prosperity, which has been the driving force and inspiration of our government in delivering our mandate in the last three years. This trinity of unity, stability and prosperity has made him the most suitable President for our great nation in these present times. “Never in the history of our nation have we witnessed the insurgency that is ravaging parts of our country. The insurgency is hitting at the heart of our national unity and cohesion. Instead of reacting in ways that could damage the trust and love of Nigerians for one another, the President has acted more on the side of caution by ensuring that actions to defeat terrorism are carefully thought-out and pursued. “This is a product of deep reflections. For instance, when last year, President Jonathan was to declare a state of emergency in the northern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, some persons were of the view that the emergency rule should be total by removing all the democratic structures. He thought differently. He did not tamper with the democratic structures. That would have threatened our democracy and by extension the unity of our nation. “The President must be commended for showing leadership. He must specifically be saluted for embarking on electoral reform, which has helped to strengthen the integrity of our elections. He intervened on the heels of the 2011 general elections, which witnessed political polarization along ethnic and religious lines. We remember that the results of the election were greeted with violent protests in some Northern States. “Following his demonstrated commitment to credible, free and fair elections, the votes of the electorate now count as exemplified in the Edo, Ondo, Anambra, Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial elections. “The president has been able to stabilize the polity by his pan Nigerian outlook and approach to governance. The stability of our nation has strengthened national unity. Today, he has been able to give every geo- political zone a sense of belonging in terms of infrastructure development, economic and human capital empowerment. “Besides, the visible and concrete infrastructure development in our nation, President Jonathan has been able to demonstrate a deep sense of equanimity in providing leadership, in spite of the incendiary remarks by some opposition leaders. “Amidst the recessions and economic downturn in most nations of the world, our economy has been stabilized, our unity preserved and our democracy enhanced. Under President Jonathan, our nation has witnessed remarkable progress and landmark developments in all sectors of the Nigerian public life, through his Transformation Agenda. “The administration has revived the comatose railway transportation with some of the rail lines already in operation. Lagos-Kano is already in operation with new coaches providing improved services. “Not only have the nation’s highways improved, ongoing works can be seen in almost all parts of the country. When the Jonathan administration came on board, only 5,000 out of the 35,000 kilometers of federal roads were motorable. Today, the Jonathan government has rehabilitated and reconstructed 20,000 additional kilometers. The remaining 10,000 kilometers will be completed in the next three years while other new road projects will be executed. “There have been monumental achievements in the agriculture sector, particularly in the distribution of fertilizer, development in the production of rice, cassava and other Nigerian staples. “There are many more other achievements that are there for us to showcase. The Nigerian economy is growing at an average rate of 6.5 percent. The recent rebasing of the Nigerian economy, which makes it the largest in Africa and the 26th largest in the world, with a GDP of $510 billion, is a major achievement by the Jonathan government. “There is no doubt that President Jonathan has simplified the task for us in the forthcoming presidential elections. Ours is to give expression to the positive narrative of performance by appealing to the sensibilities of well-meaning Nigerians to ignore the propaganda and salad of lies being served to them by the opposition, and join hands with us to give the President a second term mandate on February 14, 2015. “Our party is therefore proud to present a credible and dependable candidate with an unquestionable character and we urge Nigerians to continue to stand by him as we march to victory in the 2015 general elections.” VANGUARD DECEMBER 10, 2014
Posted on: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 05:43:34 +0000
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