The leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South East geopolitical zone, Friday, unanimously urged President Goodluck Jonathan to re-contest for a second term in 2015 assuring him of their total support for the race.
At the Unity Rally of the PDP South East zone held at Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, Chairman, South East Governors Forum and Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji and other South East governors called on President Jonathan to re-contest the presidential poll in 2015.
They insisted that on no account should he reject their request for his re-election, stressing that they would not mind conscripting him if he refused to declare his intention to continue in office.
Governor Orji said that President Jonathan had performed very well to deserve a second term in office and should heed the call by the South East to seek re-election.
He said: “If you say no, this zone will conscript you to run for 2015. You must have to contest. You have shown us that you can use power for the good of the people and the entire nation. We in the South East have resolved to stand solidly behind you and the PDP because it is only in the PDP that the South East can find shelter.”
Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime said that the issue at stake was not whether Jonathan has performed or not but his acceptance to run for another term.
“Several meetings had been held within the party in the South East and it is our collective decision to make two requests from the president and that is, one, that Jonathan should run for a second term in office and two, that he should not disappoint the people of the South East by rejecting the call to run,” he said.
He called on Nigerians to appeal to the president to seek re-election saying it was the right thing to do at the moment.
In his response, President Jonathan who was visibly elated by the show of solidarity and support from the people of the South East, said that PDP remains the only truly democratic party in the country, stressing that other opposition parties cannot take Nigeria to the democratic world.
“It is only PDP that has those elements of democracy. PDP doesn’t believe in dictatorship and it is the only party that people outside Nigeria can recognize as a true democratic party and we shall continue to sustain the progress we have made.”
Other leaders of the party including the National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, Chairman Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih as well as Senate President, David Mark, expressed gratitude to the people of the South East for their steadfast support for the PDP and assured that the zone would always be carried along in the affairs of the party.
