2011 Presidency: NDI Declares Support For Jonathan, Sambo

ABUJA, August 18, (THEWILL) - A political association, National Democratic Initiative (NDI) has declared support for President Goodluck Jonathan and his deputy, Namadi Sambo urging the duo to immediately declare their intention to contest the 2011 Presidential election.

The group wants the president to start campaign immediately in order to dissuade people who are bent on ‘hijacking’ the political leadership of country adding that Jonathan is the custodian of Yar’Adua’s mandate.

In a press statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of NDI, Tony Okorocha, and issued after its meeting in Abuja, the group also lauded the resolution of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the peoples Democratic Party (PDP) retaining zoning but giving other interested persons the right to vie for the highest office in the land.

According to Okorocha, "At the end of NDI National Executive Council emergency meeting presided over by the National Chairman, Honourable Ominimini and Vice Chairman, Dr. Gambo Bala Iggi, council in its resolution averred as that as a matter of urgency that the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Architect Namadi Mohammed Sambo should kick start their campaign with immediate effect to ensure that the presidency is not hijacked by hawks who have no clear cut programmes to move Nigeria forward but to take over power and plunder the country as they have done in the past".

The NDI appealed to all Nigerians to support the Jonathan/Sambo ticket for the 2011 presidency saying the only way to maintain national unity, peace, and progress of the nation is to vote the duo into office in 2011.

The group argued that the unity of the country cannot be compromised advising those who do not have the interest of the nation at heart and are hiding under the guise of ‘northern interest’ to keep away from the contest since "they have lost the moral courage to want to preside over a united Nigeria as one indivisible nation.

"We appeal to all project Nigeria stakeholders within the ruling party and non partisan Nigerians outside the party to let us collectively stem the tide of regionalism, religious and north and south dichotomy as the only panacea for national unity, peace and progress by rallying support for Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Arc. Namadi Mohammed Sambo.’

The NDI noted that "The country has gone beyond individuals whose conduct and action in the past caused the death of innocent youths of this country who were protesting the unpopular action carried out by this individual against their father land. Therefore we consider it a national insult for such individuals to want to rule Nigeria again.

"We are part of the world where leaders below 50 years running the affairs of their countries and are doing very well. Nigeria cannot afford to allow octogenarians who have nothing to lose if the country is not moving forward to rule us moreover, some of these people have had their chances and all we got as a nation is abject poverty, infrastructural decay, corruption, unemployment, prostitution etc," the statement stated.