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Chief
Tony Anenih
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Chairman
of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony
Anenih yesterday made a passionate appeal to the North to support the second
term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan.
The
PDP BoT chairman, in a rare admittance, noted that while the north has the
legitimate right to produce the next president, said the South-South zone would
feel short-changed, if they were to be denied the opportunity to have a full
complement of tenure.
Anenih,
in a statement, urged the North to consider the decades of cooperation given by
the people of the south-south to candidates of the north and reciprocate the
gesture with a renewed mandate for Jonathan.
He
however, decried what he described as the threat of violence, which according
to him emanated right from the time the presidential candidate of the APC,
General Muhammadu Buhari, changed his mind that he would contest is
unfortunate.
He
further urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to up its
preparation for the elections to ensure it surpasses the outcome of the 2011
elections, which was highly rated by the international community.
The
statement reads: “Last week, I made a passionate appeal to Nigerians on the
need for us to ensure, during the forthcoming elections, that the nation
remains unified and keeps moving forward in unity. With a few days to
commencement of the 2015 Presidential election, I find it expedient to send
this appeal specifically to our brothers and sisters in the Northern States.
“The
election is the most important as it is the precursor to the elections at the
state level, which come up on February 28. For me, however, the critical issue
in the February 14 Presidential election is justice. While I do not intend to
wish away your legitimate right to be President, I urge you to consider the
decades of cooperation given by the people of the South-South to candidates of
the North.
“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 emphasize 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, 2015. 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.
“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.
“And
on the part of the Independent National Electoral Commission, I expect the
election body to up its ante. In any human endeavour, there is always room for
improvement. There is no doubt in my mind that in the 2015 presidential
election, INEC will improve on its preparations and the conduct of the
election.
“I appeal to all of us to
come together to help in the effort to move Nigeria forward in unity and harmony.
God bless President Jonathan; God bless the PDP; God bless Nigeria.”
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