Protocols
1. Mr Chairman, our dear delegates, today is another great day in the history of our great Party; The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and indeed in the history of our great Nation.
2. Nothing gives me greater joy, as leader of our party, than such an opportunity as presented today, for direct interaction with so many enthusiastic and dedicated fellow party members, and may I add, all proudly dressed in our party colours and regalia.
3.
It is also my pleasure to be here as a
delegate today and I welcome whole heartedly all our delegates, party members
and all Nigerians, from across the country and beyond; including those joining
us by television and online, as we gather here in the Eagle Square, to reaffirm
the noble democratic traditions and foundations, that bind us together.
4.
I thank the Party and the Organizing
Committee for a successful convention. I thank all the delegates for a smooth
nomination process.
5.
Let me congratulate, the Chairman of our
great Party, the game changer, Alhaji Ahmed Adamu Muazu. I have no doubt that
the democratic process we have witnessed here today, and his confirmation as Party
chairman, are both pointers to the consolidation of democracy in our country as
a whole.
6.
There is no doubt that his commitment to
the ideals of our party, his consistency and hard work, has helped to reposition
the party. And today we are stronger, bigger, and more in tune with the
yearnings of our people. Let me also congratulate Professor Wale Oladipo and
Alhaji Adewale Adeyanju whose appointments as National Secretary and National
Auditor, respectively, have been ratified at this Convention.
7.
Nigeria is undergoing great changes at
this time, and also experiencing great challenges; so, political parties must
rise above the fray, to provide hope and clear direction, to propel the
development of our country.
8.
As expected in every contest, especially
political contests, the journey to this convention has not been without issues
in some constituencies. Indeed, Party Congresses from the ward to state levels,
and the legislative and state primaries, have produced both triumphs and some
misgivings.
9.
Without prejudice to various on-going
resolution mechanisms, we will take steps, after the elections to review and
refine the candidate selection procedures within our party. An appropriate
committee will be set up to work on this, with contributions across board.
10.
I commend the efforts of the supervising
and appeal committee members, who travelled across the country to conduct and
oversee the primaries and congresses. I appreciate also the dedication of the
various working committees and special committees engaged in organising and
delivering all aspects of the election season programmes.
11.
Fellow delegates, dear party members,
while we congratulate our candidates who have emerged at the primaries, we must
reassure all our members, that our party remains a large, accommodating and
responsible party.
12.
We will make sure that conflicts are amicably
resolved and that the genuine interest of every member is respected and
assured.
13.
As party members, we must be conscious of
the responsibility we hold to our Nation. The political party is the vehicle
for national organisation, and the PDP is the foremost political party in
Nigeria.
14.
For the sake of the entire nation, we
must, at this time, more than ever, stand together as one united party. We are
all joint stake holders, this party belongs to all of us.
15.
What we have achieved today should be a
lesson to all who care about Nigeria. What we have done exemplifies our unity. What
we have done exemplifies our determination. What we have done exemplifies our
purpose.
16.
We are a Party that accepts challenges. We
are a Party that confronts those challenges. But above all, we are a Party that
resolves challenges. And it is exactly these qualities that will lead us to
victory.
17.
Distinguished Delegates, ladies and
gentlemen, I stand before you as your humble servant, to accept your nomination
as the Presidential candidate of our great Party, the PDP.
18.
Having placed great faith in me and chosen
me as your candidate, I assure you, that I am truly honoured tonight, to lead
another electoral contest.
19.
This will be a campaign, and an election,
that will serve to consolidate our successes.
20.
I will give my all.
21.
I will not let you down.
22.
I will not fail the PDP.
23.
I will not fail you.
24.
Above all, I promise, I will not fail our great
nation, Nigeria.
25.
This convention shows that we are ready.
26.
The PDP is ready.
27.
Nigerians know we are ready.
28.
And today in Abuja, we begin the next
phase of our mission.
29.
Our mission is to secure Nigeria’s future.
30.
First of all, let me give gratitude to God
Almighty who has sustained the nation.
31.
There is much to say, but permit me some
special words of gratitude. These last four years have not always been easy,
but through it all, my wife has effortlessly taken care of our home. So to you,
my companion and my foremost supporter, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
32.
I also want to thank, the Vice President,
my brother, Arch Namadi Sambo, and his dear wife. You have both provided loyal
support and commitment to this presidency; working with you for our people, has
been a pleasure.
33.
The work and progress recorded these past
four years has been possible because we have had the best team possible. The
Ministers, Advisers, Assistants and staff that have formed the Transformation
team, have shown great dedication, creativity and loyalty.
34.
They have put in extra hours when
necessary, and always gone the extra mile to ensure delivery. Today, I thank
them fervently for their patriotism and hard work.
35.
Our Party, the PDP, has been the foundation
of our Transformation Agenda. I thank the Chairman and Party Executive at all
levels, the Board of Trustees and National Working Committee, the PDP Governors
Forum, Federal and state legislators, Secretariat Staff and volunteers, across
the country. You have played your part well, and I am indeed very grateful.
36.
It is not a mere coincidence that our
National Convention this year starts on the same day as the United Nations World
Human Rights Day. This government, led by our Party, has made the respect of
human rights and individual freedoms, the cornerstone of our administration.
37.
I did say during my declaration on
November 11, 2014, that we are proud that no Nigerian has been exiled or
imprisoned on our watch, for holding contrary views. We must ensure that we
continue to water the tree bearing the fruits of freedom, for our beloved
people.
38.
In the last 16 years, the PDP has kept
faith with the Nigerian people by promoting and projecting a united nation, under
God. We have united our people around common national goals for the good of our
citizens and the development of our nation.
39.
Through its years of office,
our great Party, the PDP created the Anti-corruption agencies, that is,
the EFCC and the ICPC, the Excess Crude Account, the Pension Reforms, Fiscal
Responsibility Regime, the Sovereign Wealth Fund and various privatization
programmes.
40.
We initiated Debt Relief, the Amnesty
Programme, the Presidential Jobs Creation Board, Power Sector Reforms and the
National Infrastructure Master-plan; the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan, the
National Automobile Policy, the Freedom of Information regime, the Nigerian
Mortgage Refinancing Company, and the Infrastructure Bank, amongst others.
41.
At the advent of democracy in 1999, Nigeria’s GDP was 35.9 billion US dollars.
Today, it is 510 billion US dollars - and we have become Africa’s biggest
economy. In 1999, our debt to GDP Ratio
was 93.1%. Today, it is 13.6 % of which external debt to GDP ratio is 1.89%.
42.
As at 1999, only 400,000 telephone lines were active in our country. Today,
we have about 120 million lines, which have created many more jobs for our
youths.
43.
This
administration is also working to revitalize our insurance industry. Compared
to other emerging economies, our insurance industry has not achieved its full
potential. Today, only 3 million of our citizens are insurance policy holders,
and overall insurance penetration is less than 0.5 percent of our GDP. We want
to transform this sector, just as we have done for our banking sector and our
pensions industry.
44.
Our goal is to
grow the total insurance premiums in our country from 300 billion naira
currently to 1 trillion naira in the next three years. And to increase the
number of direct jobs created in this sector from about 30,000 people today to
over 100,000 people in the next few years.
45.
My brothers and sisters, the PDP as a party has delivered on its
promise. In the last decade, it has seen
to the largest expansion of the middle class in Africa. Certainly, our Party has a rich history of
enduring legacies.
46.
For those who defected from the PDP, I enjoin you to tell the truth in
your campaigns. Many of the developments in your States were initiated by the
PDP. So be honest with the
voters and give credit where it is due.
47.
In adopting the umbrella as our symbol, we have become the umbrella of
the nation. Our politics has not been
defined by our differences, but in forging the bond of oneness.
48.
After our victory at the polls in 2011, we articulated a TRANSFORMATION
AGENDA, which we have faithfully implemented. The agenda has created the
framework of our desire to promote and deepen access to economic and social
benefits, through equal opportunities.
49.
The Transformation Agenda is helping to secure
Nigeria’s future. Thanks to this Agenda we have remained focused, calculated
and measured in our decision-making. We have focused on sustainable gains,
rather than quick fixes. We have remained committed to our national maxim of
Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress.
50.
Today, it is to our collective credit as a
nation, that in spite of our challenges, our unity remains solid. All across our
nation, the positive gains of the Transformation Agenda are being progressively
enjoyed by our people.
51.
During this campaign, some office seekers
will say it is “time for change”, but while they were changing from one name to
another and from one party to the other, we had already brought change to
Nigeria.
52.
My dear delegates,
53.
Has change not come to our railway system?
54.
Has change not come to our airports?
55.
Has change not come to our roads network?
56.
Has change not come to our agricultural
sector?
57.
Has change not come to our electoral
process?
58.
Has change not come to Almajiri education?
59.
Is change not coming to the power sector?
60.
Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,
what we need today is to consolidate on our gains in order to secure our
future.
61.
Our focus now must be on the future and
not on the past. We have challenges but we are determined to overcome them. And
this we will.
62.
These last four years, my priority has
been in building a strong and stable economy. We have created the enabling
environment for businesses to thrive. These are essentials for securing
Nigeria's future.
63.
Back in 2008 and 2009, the country faced
strong economic challenges arising from unstable oil prices, but we confronted
it consciously and overcame. As the economic
challenges of oil price-fall, looms in the months ahead, Nigeria needs tested
hands that will provide certainty, in an uncertain world. We have a strong and
capable economic team, which has already worked out strategies to manage the
oil price volatility and curtail its effects.
64.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, our
fight against corruption is on course.
Our systematic efforts have been acknowledged and we
will do more in the coming years. Corruption
degrades development; we will continue this fight, without compromise.
65.
In the past four years we have run our
administration with respect for the principle of separation of powers between
the different arms of government. The judiciary and the legislature have
independently and introspectively pursued their own reforms and greater
self-expression.
66.
With a fresh mandate, we shall push for
increased intra-party and bi-partisan harmony, within the legislature, and
between the executive and the legislature. The duty of national development
must never be hindered by the over-politicization of interests; this is what we
owe our people, and our nation.
67.
Dear party faithful, beyond security and corruption, there exist
environmental challenges, such as desertification, which is threatening the
lives of our people, especially in the frontline states of Adamawa, Borno,
Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara. We have
responded most appropriately by implementing the Great Green Wall
Programme for which we have released over 16 billion Naira.
68.
Our
determination to provide a buffer of greenery that will stop the advancement of
the desert and reverse the many losses of farmlands and grazing grounds,
streams and aquatic life, among others, remains strong. Similar programmes are
being implemented to save communities from erosion in the West, East, and the
South-South parts of the country.
69.
On my watch, the
security of all citizens shall continue to be of utmost priority. With the exception of the civil war, never
before in the history of our country have we faced the level of threat we see
today. I assure all Nigerians that this Government
will continue to do whatever is required to provide the security we deserve. It
is encouraging that the security situation is improving, and by the grace of
God, elections will be conducted in all states of the federation.
70.
I call on all Nigerians, irrespective of party or belief, to join me in
this fight against insurgency and terror. We must be united. Bickering and quarrels only
serve to send the wrong signals to terrorists and insurgents, that we are
divided in this fight. More importantly it can also demoralise our dedicated and
brave armed forces. This would be wrong. For this reason, we must remain
united.
71.
I believe that together as a people and with God on our side, we shall
defeat terror and emerge an even stronger nation.
72.
The experience in many countries shows that there may be a tendency for
the escalation of violence in an election year. We must not succumb to
blackmail. We must be vigilant – every
one of us. Only by united action, can we defeat terrorism.
73.
I salute our gallant armed forces and
security agencies who are doing their best to keep our people safe. We shall
continue to ensure that they have the best in terms of equipment, training and
conditions. I appeal to our countrymen
and women to provide them with the fullest support, and not to fall victim to those
who fan the embers of terror.
74.
As a political party, we must rededicate
ourselves to the work of securing our future. We are the party of the people,
and not just the elite. We must lift the
poor out of the depth of want, onto the ladder of prosperity. We will work to ensure that no child suffers
from basic needs. We must create equal opportunities for women and the
physically challenged. We must give a voice
to all Nigerians.
75.
And we can do all this! Nigeria is not a land of despair. We are a people
who show commitment and unity of purpose. Just look at how we stood up to the
Ebola Virus Disease. We are a
hard-working nation. And we will go from strength to strength.
76.
Our best days are before us, not behind
us. We must continue to move forward.
77.
In accepting your nomination as flag
bearer for the Presidential Election, I once more accept the challenge to serve
our party and nation. I will continue the work we have begun with the
Transformation Agenda.
78.
I will work to secure Nigeria’s future. I will
serve with humility and moderation, with simplicity and forthrightness; with
openness and inclusiveness, and with firmness and strength. I urge all Nigerians
to support me, to finish what we started together.
79.
Fellow citizens, what we need, more than anything
else, is to secure our country’s future, by building, and not by destroying.
80.
We can continue to build upon the
foundations we have laid so far, we can continue with our economic progress, we
can continue improving our infrastructure, we can continue delivering better
health care, we can continue to improve our agriculture and we can continue to
safeguard individual liberties and freedoms.
81.
The choice before Nigerians in the coming
election is simple: A choice between going forward or going backwards; between
the new ways and the old ways; between freedom and repression; between a record
of visible achievements and beneficial reforms - and desperate power-seekers
with empty promises.
82.
Fellow Delegates, dear Party members, so much is at stake. Let me
remind everyone – party leaders, mobilizers, members, men, women and youth –
that the hard work has only just started.
83.
As your Presidential candidate and Party leader, I hereby commission
all delegates and party faithful, as my campaign mobilizers, to take our
message of unity and development back to your respective states and communities,
and to ensure victory for all candidates of the PDP in the forthcoming
elections. Working Together, we will do it!
84.
Our political opponents shall assail us with the fury of their
desperation to win power. They will use
every means – intimidation, false accusations, hostile media and more. Do not
descend to their level. We must stay focused on the mission at hand – to secure
Nigeria’s future.
85.
Let me emphasise again, that nobody’s
political ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian. We must eschew
violence, even in the face of the most outrageous acts of desperation.
86.
We must make sure our supporters have
their voter’s cards. We must get them
motivated and eager to make their mark. It will be a mark for our children. It
will be a mark for a stronger economy. A mark that will secure Nigeria’s
future.
87.
So my dear Party Men and Women, let us
take this campaign to every Nigerian, every home and every community.
88.
We will campaign in peace.
89.
We will campaign with hope in our hearts.
90.
We will campaign on the facts and the
truth.
91.
We will campaign with issues and ideas.
92.
We will campaign on our record of
performance.
93.
We will campaign to win.
94.
Mr. Chairman, Distinguished delegates,
Ladies
and Gentlemen,
95.
Let me at this point invite to join me on
this podium, the Chairman of our great party, Alhaji Ahmed Adamu Muazu; the
Chairman of our Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih; the Senate President,
Senator David Mark and his wife; my dear brother, the Vice President, Architect
Namadi Sambo and his wife, and particularly, my dear wife, the First Lady, Dame
Patience Jonathan.
96.
I seize the opportunity of this occasion
to formally announce that as we commence the campaign for the 2015 Presidential
elections, Architect Mohammed Namadi Sambo, a loyal and tested partner, a
dependable, trustworthy gentleman and a true patriot will be my running mate
and Vice Presidential candidate once again.
97.
With your continued support and the blessing
of God Almighty, Vice President Sambo and I will campaign together to win
another resounding victory for our great party in the coming elections.
98.
God bless you all.
99.
God bless our great Party, the PDP
100.
God bless Nigeria
101. I thank you all.
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