Group moves to support Jonathan

Socio- political Group has moved step forward in their resolve to support the candidacy of President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 Presidential election.

Eastern Union, EU, an association of the old Eastern States that supports good governance, accountability, justice and equity made their declaration to support the candidacy of Jonathan on weekend while on their last National Executive Committee meeting held at Abuja where the Group reviewed and re-resolved to give their total support to President Jonathan come 2015, general election.

“We have resolved to give our total support to President Jonathan come 2015 general election. The president deserved second-term to enable him complete the transformation agenda he started and we call on all Nigerians not to make mistake by voting any other candidate”, Charles Anike stated.

Our NEC meeting also resolved to support any credible candidates at the State levels, irrespective of any party affiliation. This is because EU does not believe in anointing of candidates or imposition of candidates on the people”. To drum their support for the President, the group come up with a book entitled: "Goodluck Ebele Jonathan; Divine Mandate to Rescue Nigeria Democracy". The book is planned to be launched in Abuja in one month time. According to the authors of the book, it’s an encyclopaedia of numerous achievements of the President in the last five years and how he was able to contain the forces against democratic norms.

However, the National President of EU, Hon. Anike Charles, sounded a note of warning to supporters of the President and Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, not to go to bed with the notion that they are going to win the election and failed to work towards achieving victory for Jonathan. “Now that Jonathan has accepted to run, what next? It’s important to remind the PDP members across the Country and all the support groups that this is no time to rest or sleep. The tempo must remain high”, he added.

“The recent governorship election in Ekiti State has shown that the power of incumbency is no longer a factor in Nigeria politics. The landslide victory recorded by the PDP candidate in the Ekiti election against the then sitting governor should be a big lesson to all”.

Therefore, the Group called on President and the leaders of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), to look beyond the 'size' of the party, or their past glory, and the party big wigs in the party to believe that victory will be easy in 2015.

 “If victory will be their ultimate this time, the leadership of the PDP must this time, reach to the grassroots or meet surprises”, Anike warned.

He said the Eastern Union have on their part mobilizing the masses and their members for the great fight by already setting up Campaign cells throughout the country for the re-election of the President, and advised all the genuine support groups to do same.

“This we know will make the Presidential campaign and other campaigns more effective and direct to the people at the grassroots; who of course we know are the real voters”, according to him, “President Jonathan must at this point in time wield into the crisis emanating from the ward congresses as quick as possible. The PDP leadership should quickly set up re-conciliatory committees in the States to restore peace and unity among the party members”.

He explained that the defection of the Speaker of the House of Representative was also a pointer the PDP that they should not rest in their oars and that such defection should not cause distraction or unnecessary attention giving to it, because there was no point crying over the spill milk.

EU said they are in support for parties to select the best from among the numerous aspirants, because to the group, democracy means that the best should rule the rest instead of the other way round.

“The attitude of anointing a candidate for one selfish reason is tantamount to mortgaging the overall interest of our people and that to us is unacceptable”, Anike concluded.