WITH JONATHAN’S VICTORY, WE HAVE SHAMED TRIBAL SENTIMENTS - ONI

By Lere Olayinka

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Olusegun Oni has urged Nigerians to join the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) to once and for all put to shame tribal and religious sentiments in Nigeria by voting overwhelmingly for President Goodluck Jonathan in the coming presidential election.

Reacting to President Jonathan's landslide victory at the yesterday presidential primary election through his Chief Media Aide, Wale Ojo-Lanre, Chief Oni said; “What happened yesterday was the first leg of our match towards the destruction of the tribal sentiment that had held us down as a nation for years.”

“The message that we in the PDP have sent to Nigerians with the emergence of President Jonathan is that Nigerians should begin to see the country as one.

“Yesterday, we said it with our votes that 'enough of this I am from the North and the other person is from the South' divisive talks which has never helped us as a people.

“What is now required of all Nigerians is for us to give our votes to the PDP during the general elections so that we can collectively tell the entire world that indeed, Nigeria is one.”

Oni, who congratulated the President and his Vice, Architect Namadi Sambo for the well-deserved victory said; “the commitment of Ekiti people to the Goodluck/Sambo ticket will remain total until the final lap of the race is completed in April.”

The former governor described opposition parties in the country, especially the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) as a congregation of anti-democracy elements saying; “We held our own primary election in the full glare of the entire world. Let them also conduct their own primary openly like our won so that the general public can see how all those wives, concubines, children, in-laws and other relations of their leaders are emerging as candidates.

“For instance, from the fallouts of the party's primary elections, especially in Ekiti, Edo and Ogun State, no one should be in doubt now that it was the ACN people were the perpetrators of violence and other criminal acts, including forgery of documents during the elections that were held in these States between 2007 and 2010.

“Should we then put Nigeria in the hands of this mafia that are even killing themselves and forging their own voters register to gain undue advantage during their primary elections? Definitely no!

“This and many more are the reasons Nigerians should support the PDP so that we can collectively build a country where competence is considered above ethnic and religious affiliations.”