Lagos- The Chairman of the Northern Elders Council, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, on Wednesday gave reasons why Nigerians should vote for President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Yakassai made the declaration in Lagos at a South-West Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Media Presentation on the re-election of the president.
Addressing the gathering, Yakassai said, “Jonathan is the type of president that the nation needs.
“During Jonathan’s speech at his nomination, he spoke for about an hour without reading from a script and articulated his agenda.
“The president did not attack or criticise anybody; this is the type of politics we need in Nigeria, politics of ideas.
“Let me congratulate Jonathan for picking the PDP ticket. I am happy to note that the PDP endorsed the president for a second term in line with what happens abroad.
“It happened in the United States during the tenure of Bill Clinton and also Barrack Obama. They were not opposed by any member of their party when they made their bidding for re-election.”
Yakassai commended Jonathan for picking Vice President Namadi Sambo as his running mate.
According to him, by doing so, Jonathan gave recognition to loyalty, dedication and commitment.
“It is more than five years since Jonathan and Sambo started this journey and we have never heard of any disagreement between them.
“I recommend that Jonathan is the type of person we should support to lead the country,” he added.
Stressing the need for the re-election of the president, the PDP chieftain said that re-electing the president would strengthen zoning and rotation principle in the nation’s polity.
“We support zoning so that every part of Nigeria will have opportunity to rule this country and this will lead to peace forever in Nigeria.
“Zoning and rotation should be entrenched in our constitution so that power will continue to go round,” he stated.
On Boko Haram, Yakassai dispelled what he described as ‘’erroneous impressions’’ on the ‘’creation’’ and support of the sect in Nigeria.
“The impression that Boko Haram was created to dislodge Jonathan’s administration and that Jonathan supports Boko Haram is all wrong.
‘’It doesn’t make sense for any government to encourage insurgency,” he said.
In his remarks, Chairman of the occasion, Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), said that Jonathan would win the 2015 elections.
“Jonathan will be the next President of Nigeria. I have toured all parts of Nigeria and after a fair analysis, I say that Jonathan will definitely win,” Akinjide said.
Also speaking, a former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Olabode George, said that Jonathan was the first president in the country to convoke a National Conference.
“Jonathan allowed us free hands to discuss project Nigeria at the conference.
“Jonathan himself affirmed recently that he would execute all the recommendations of the conference,” George said.
He said that all the issues that Jonathan, in his magnanimity, allowed the delegates at the conference to decide will be a new beginning for Nigeria, adding that he should be given the opportunity of a second term.
“We have all had our time; it is now time for the minority. Why must we short-change them?
“Jonathan is a patient, peaceful, calm and collected man. Any man who wants to rule Nigeria requires patience which Jonathan has,” George stressed.
In his speech, Prof. Dupe Olatunbosun, who was guest speaker at the event, commended Jonathan for his achievements in all sectors.
“Despite all the challenges we are facing, Nigeria’s economy has become number one in Africa,” he said. (NAN)
2015: Yakassai urges Nigerians to support Jonathan/Sambo ticket
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