WE'RE SET FOR TOTAL VICTORY - ACTING CHAIRMAN

The acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, OFR, has said that the party is set to record clear and convincing victory in next month's general elections going by the overwhelming reception Nigerians displayed during President Goodluck Jonathan's state-by-state campaign.

Describing the campaigns as extremely rigorous but richly rewarding, the acting national chairman said that by the enthusiastic reception of the party's presidential campaign train, the Nigerian electorate have finally spoken that they will vote massively for the Goodluck/Sambo ticket and other candidates of the party in the forthcoming elections.

He said: 'From Borno to Bayelsa, from Ebonyi to Kebbi, from Adamawa to Jigawa, from Ekiti to Sokoto, from Kwara to Akwa Ibom, the voices of our teeming supporters resonated with the same pledge: it is either PDP or no other party.

'We sincerely thank Nigerians for this massive show of support and solidarity, which they displayed as we embarked on these cross-country campaigns.'

He explained that the party quickly went into the campaigns with the conviction that the Nigerian voters come first in the party's order of priorities. He pointed out that the average Nigerian is the centre-piece of PDP's policies and programmes.

'We were the first political party to take our presidential ticket round the country to enable Nigerians come face to face with our choice brand. Our message in this regard is very clear. We are cocksure of the absolute sellability and the incredible chemistry of Mr. President and his deputy, Architect Namadi Sambo. We have absolute confidence in their ability to steer the ship of this nation for the next four years. We believe they are the real change agents of the transformation, which our country urgently needs now.

'President Goodluck Jonathan has exhaustively communicated his message of peace, unity and stability as a necessary foundation for the rapid and complete transformation of our dear country. This is a statesman's message. We are happy that Nigerians who desire peace have made up their minds to vote for him as a man of peace,' he said.

The acting national chairman also explained that his party is committed to efforts by well-meaning Nigerians and institutions to ensure that the elections are peaceful, orderly and rancour-free, just as it is closely working with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), other political parties and security agencies to translate President Jonathan's promise of a free, fair and credible election into practical reality.

'For the avoidance of doubt, our party stands to gain immensely in an election conducted in a free, fair and peaceful atmosphere because Nigerians love our party. We will win free and fair, we will win fine and square,' he said.

He thanked all members and supporters of the party in all states of the federation, who trooped out to welcome the party's presidential campaign train, including youth organisations, artisans, professional bodies, local vigilante groups, community development associations, market women, commercial motorcycle operators, etc.

He urged them to intensify their door-to-door campaigns for the party and continue to spread President Goodluck Jonathan's singular message of peace, unity and stability, maintaining that as the president has emphasised that his election is not worth the blood of any Nigerian, the PDP is totally opposed to electoral fraud and violence.

He therefore, charged them to come out en masse on the dates of all the elections and vote for all candidates of the party particularly for President Goodluck Jonathan in order to usher in a new era of transformation in all spheres of the Nigerian life.

Saying that President Goodluck Jonathan is fit for the Nigerian people's mandate, the chairman stated that his party will ensure that its manifesto, which were unveiled at the campaign rallies will be implemented to the letter as a mark of respect for and obligation to the Nigerian voters.

Dr. Bello Mohammed enjoined all members, loyalists and supporters of the party to attend the grand finale of the campaigns billed for Eagle Square, in Abuja, on Saturday March 26, 2011 to drop the curtain on the party's presidential campaign's rallies nationwide.