President Goodluck Jonathan is optimistic that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will floor the main opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general elections.
According to him, the “noise” and “lies” being spread by the opposition party will not guarantee their candidates victory in 2015.
President Jonathan spoke Wednesday at a luncheon in honour of members of the Presidential Declaration Committee, held at the State House Banquet Hall.
While thanking the party leadership and members for the confidence reposed in him, Jonathan assured them that he would not be distracted despite sustained criticisms by the opposition party.
His words, “I thank you all for all your support, even before the declaration, for me and the vice president and your support for government, because in the political history this is one period that we really have a lot of opposition coming up every day.
“But for your support probably we couldn’t have achieved the little we have achieved. But no matter the lies people tell, punctured stories and so on, we have been very committed and you keep supporting us, we remain grateful.
“I’m yet to see those who can beat PDP. They will continue to make the noise but they cannot beat us, because the gap between PDP and others is astronomical. The way we do things and the way they do things is very different, the way we talk and the way they talk is very different, the way we reason and the way they reason is very different.
“Our commitment to transform this country and their thinking about Nigeria is very different. And I promise you my party men and women and indeed all Nigerians that with your support, collectively we must move this country to where we want it to be. Every day, every week and every month we must add something, we must change and continue to change,” he said.
President Jonathan also used the occasion to appeal to aspirants for the various elective positions not to see it as a do or die affair, saying, “For my other colleagues, the PDP aspirants for various levels of election, though I’m also an aspirant, the party has given me some kind of privilege.
“I am now a privileged aspirant, because it is after the convention that I can say clearly that I am the candidate, but I am a privileged aspirant. Some of you are also privileged aspirants from what I have heard; some of you have been endorsed by your constituencies.
“So, aspirants for the various levels of election from the state assemblies, House of Representatives, the Senate and the governorship I wish you success.
“And let me use this unique opportunity to plead with all of us who are aspiring for electoral offices that the world does not begin and end with the office you are looking for.
“Sometimes, you would be looking for an office, you may not be able to get it for one reason or the other. Let us say somebody blocked you, so be it, let somebody block you. But if God wants something better for you, even after that blocking you will get something else. I plead with all of us that we should not play the do or die, ‘except I get it, let the party sink’.
“We are taking inventory of all what is happening in all the states and I promise that we will try and use as many people as possible. There are challenges in some states. People may deliberately block you. You may even be the best candidate in that particular constituency but let us move ahead.
“In my own life, the things I look for I hardly get. It’s what I don’t even think about that sometimes that I get, and I believe most of you will smile. But collectively, first and foremost, let us unite the party, work together for our collective victory and I believe after that we will move forward,” the President said.
The party’s national chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, enjoined members to always display absolute loyalty to the leadership and the party.
The luncheon was attended by party leadership, chieftains and government officials.
