Democracy is not about intimidation – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan stormed Dutse, Jigawa State capital yesterday, saying the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) is not playing poli­tics the way great Nigerian leaders like the late Mallam Aminu Kano, Ahamdu Bello and Tafawa Balewa did.

His host, Governor Sule Lamido, de­cried vilification of anybody who does not support APC candidate, Gen. Mu­hammadu Buhari.

Jonathan told the crowd who reeived him and his delegation, that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a party that promotes unity. He said all the airports in the country were built by the ruling PDP and that the Federal Government has established 14 universities and one international airport, urging Nigerians to ignore those that accuse the PDP of doing nothing.

According to him, 'leadership is not about intimidating people, is not about threatening people, one thing about de­mocracy is that people should be free. Freedom is the hallmark of democracy, democracy where you are not free, de­mocracy where you live in bondage, that is not democracy. Nigerians will never be in bondage, this country must be united.

'Sule Lamido mentioned Aminu Kano, he talked about Sir Abubakar Ta­fawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, these are great Nigerian leaders, that talked and spoke about unity, encouraged the unity of this country. They never encouraged young people to attack others because of political differences. We believe in one Nigeria and we just celebrated our centenary as a nation. Nobody can dis­integrate this country, we will remain united.

'We have challenges of terror just like other countries have. The issue of Boko Haram, but surely, we will crush this terror and nobody can separate us, nobody can disintegrate this country. This country must continue to be united and nobody will allow anybody to do otherwise.

'So, I thank my great people of Jigawa State, what we want to do as the central government is to work with your incoming government just like we worked with Sule Lamido to make sure that we encourage our farmers as we do to get fertilisers and soft loans, to en­able them fend well for themselves and train their children.

'What we will do with incoming gov­ernment is to create an environment for micro and medium-scale enterprise for our young people to become the next set of millionaires in this country, for our young ones to create jobs for them­selves, for our young people to create wealth. I thank all of you for supporting us, vote for PDP; work with your gov­ernor to work with your government so that Jigawa will continue to grow from strength to strength,' he said.

The President described Lamido as an action governor leading an action government.

Vice President Namadi Sambo com­mended the Jigawa's transformation by Governor Lamido. He said the United Nations report indicated that Jigawa is the best in terms of development, add­ing that the Federal Government will continue to collaborate with the state to ensure it is the best not just in Nigeria, but in the world.

He said having worked with Jonathan for more than four years, I can say he is honest, transparent and result-oriented.

Sambo said when the proposal for the Almajiri programme was brought to Jonathan, he acted on it within five minutes.

He said the President was also the initiator for empowering farmers, add­ing that farmers now have access to fer­tilisers. Tractors are now available for their use.

PDP National Chairman, Adamu Mu'azu, said the Lamido administra­tion has done a lot of projects for the state to the extent that whoever is com­ing to Jigawa will notice the difference without being told.

He advised those who do not have voters cards to go and register and get them while those who have should ensure the cards are intact and ensure that on February 14, they come out en masse and vote for all PDP candidates.

In his remarks, Lamido welcomed Jonathan to his home, PDP is a fam­ily of Nigerians that believes in unity and cares for the Nigerian people. He decried a situation where those who do not support Buhari in the North are vilified, called names and blackmailed, noting that the only thing the APC has was Buhari's popularity, and that the party would be dead without Buhari, saying 'that was not democracy'.

According to Lamido, the Aminu Kano arena stands for liberty and free­dom where the people were freed by Aminu Kano with the philosophy of knowledge and not ignorance.

He recalled how former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida was insulted and vilified on the social media for calling on Nigerians to sup­port Jonathan in the fight against terror when the President visited him, but was hailed as soon as he endorsed Buhari, who visited him.

He said the North was liberated by Aminu Kano, but sadly today, leaders are insulted by the youths of the re­gion because they have different views from that of Buhari, saying this was not democracy. Lamido said: 'Call me anything you want I will stand by my beliefs. I am a Fulani man and we don't fear anybody.

'Today in the North, if you say any­thing against Buhari, you are being vilified, a popular cleric, Gumi, admon­ished Buhari, he was insulted and the question is who will liberate us from this fear?

'My worry is that today, the fear of Buhari is the beginning of wisdom, but to me, today. the fear of Buhari is the failure of Buhari. You must be a human being before you are an Ijaw, North or nay other tribe.

'So humanity is our concern. Hunger does not respect ethnicity or religion, so Nigerians deserve good governance.'

He urged Nigerians to stand up against this issue of blackmail from the opposition party.