The President, who decried discriminations against Nigerians not resident in their states of origin, disclosed that the confab report has recommendations designed to resolve the issues stressing that he was determined to implement it to ensure the unity of the country.
Jonathan spoke weekend at a rally organized by northerners resident in the seventeen states of the southern part of the country under the auspices of ‘Arewa Initiative for Peaceful Co-existence In Southern Nigeria’ to endorse him as their sole Presidential candidate for the elections billed for March 28, 2015.
According to him, “the issue of peaceful development is key to all society; without peace, we cannot grow, we have key roles to play to ensure that Nigerians are united. Nigerians should conduct their businesses peacefully wherever they live, we should not discriminate among ourselves.”
“If you vote for us, we will implement the confab report 100 per cent,” the President assured, adding: “We believe Nigeria is one indivisible nation, I believe we should do what is right for all Nigerians. In the next four years, we must make sure we develop our people, we will make sure we create wealth for our people, not to divide them based on ethnic or religious lines.”
Furthermore he said: “It is only a peaceful heart that can bring change to the country, you cannot be angry and effect peaceful change, we must not allow certain politicians to divide us, if we compartmentalize ourselves, we have destroyed what God has given us. Moslems and Christians must see themselves as one.”
The President who thanked the northerners for endorsing him as their sole candidate for the elections reiterated: “There is no person that will become President of Nigeria without the support of all Nigerians; he will not enjoy the office because of the diversity of the country.”
Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan at the occasion, described the rally as “a celebration of unity, celebration of ethnic tolerance and celebration of one Nigeria under the leadership of a peaceful and peace-loving President Goodluck Jonathan.”
The Governor enjoined Nigerians to re-elect President Jonathan because he was effectively tackling the challenges of the country.
“We need to bring back our President and we need our permanent voters’ cards to enable us vote for our President,” the Governor said while the Director-General of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation, Dr Amadu Ali, said President Jonathan deserves re-election because of his commitment to a progressive Nigeria.
The grand patron of the Organization that organized the endorsement rally, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa disclosed that the idea behind the initiative was “to galvanize northerners in the southern part of the country to have a voice in the affairs of the country,” stating that the more than ten million northerners who are in the southern part of Nigeria would cast their votes for President Jonathan.
Others who spoke at the occasion assured the President of their votes to enable him implement the recommendations of the national conference which they stated, would usher in a more united, peaceful and developed Nigeria.
