Read President Goodluck Jonathan's speech while addressing the nation on
the forthcoming 2015 elections which hold tomorrow, March 27, 2015.
Read President Goodluck Jonathan's speech while
addressing the nation on the forthcoming 2015 elections which hold
tomorrow, March 27, 2015.
As we prepare to go to
the polls tomorrow, I have come before you this morning to express my
immense appreciation for the opportunity you gave me to lead this great
nation of ours in the past four years.
I also wish
to place on record, once again, my sincere gratitude for the support
you have given my administration without which the significant progress
we have made in recent years would not have been possible.
In
spite of the many challenges we have had to contend with since 1999,
our present democratic dispensation continues to endure and grow
stronger in keeping with the yearnings and aspirations of our people.
We
have all worked very hard to nurture and strengthen our democratic
institutions and promote the good governance practices which they were
designed to deliver for the better well-being of our people.
I
believe I can say without fear of contradiction that we all clearly
cherish the democracy we now have and will never willingly give it up
for any other form of governance.
This much-cherished democracy of ours is about to be put to the test once again.
I urge you all to troop out en-masse to peacefully perform your civic duty of voting for leaders of your choice tomorrow.
As
we do so, let us all – political party leaders, contestants, party
members, party agents, supporters and ordinary voters alike, be very
conscious of the fact that the eyes of the entire world are on us.
We
must therefore comport ourselves in a manner that will further
strengthen our democracy and consolidate our place in the comity of
truly democratic nations.
I made a commitment on
assumption of office to progressively deliver freer, fairer and more
credible elections in our country. In keeping with that commitment, the
Federal Government has given the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) all necessary support to ensure that it conducts very
successful elections tomorrow and on April 11.
We
have all been assured that INEC is fully ready for the elections. I
believe that we can all trust that they are certainly more ready now
than they may have been before security issues and other concerns
necessitated a re-scheduling of the dates for the 2015 general
elections.
As an administration, we welcome the
fact that millions of Nigerians who were yet to receive their Permanent
Voters Cards (PVCs) as at February 14, and would therefore have been
unfairly disenfranchised if the polls had gone ahead on that date, have
seized the opportunity of the re-scheduling to collect their cards and
can now exercise their right to vote tomorrow.
We
are also glad that our gallant Armed Forces have successfully stemmed
the seizure of Nigerian territories in the North-East by the terrorist
group, Boko Haram.
They have recaptured most of
the communities and territories formerly occupied by the insurgents,
making it possible for thousands of internally-displaced Nigerians to
begin returning to their homes and communities.
I
heartily commend the very courageous men and women of our Armed Forces
for the immense sacrifices which they continue to make in defending the
nation and protecting its citizens.
I also thank all Nigerians for keeping faith with us over the past six weeks.
I
call on all political parties and politicians in the country to allow
the free, unfettered will of our people to be expressed without any
hindrance in the coming elections in keeping with the hallowed
principles and tenets of democratic governance which we all profess.
The will of the people freely expressed through the ballot is the bedrock of all democracies and ours cannot be an exception.
Let
us all therefore be prepared, as true democrats, to graciously accept
the outcome of the elections as the rightful choice of our people from
whom all political powers in our democracy must emanate.
My administration has done its utmost best in the past four years to deliver on our promise to positively transform our country.
Tomorrow’s
election is another very important milestone as we continue our march
towards the fulfillment of our God-given potential for greatness.
The
election offers us another opportunity to empower leaders of our choice
once again, and to show the world that genuine democracy is alive and
well in our beloved nation.
I will like to restate my belief that no political ambition can justify violence or the shedding of the blood of our people.
I
reaffirm once again, my personal preparedness to ensure fair play
during the elections and to deploy the resources and institutions of
state only in the manner prescribed by our laws.
Let
me warn, however, that as President, Commander-In-Chief of the Armed
Forces, I am under oath to protect the lives of all Nigerians and the
security of our country at all times. I will never abdicate my
responsibilities in that regard.
Democracy allows
dissent. It encourages differences and even fervent disagreements. But
elections must never be mistaken for war or an opportunity to set fellow
citizens against each other and tear our beloved nation apart.
Those
who may harbor any intentions of testing our will by unleashing
violence during the elections in order to advance their political
ambitions should think again as all necessary measures have been put in
place to ensure that any persons who breach the peace or cause public
disorder during or after the elections are speedily apprehended and
summarily dealt with according to our laws.
The
nation’s security agencies are also fully prepared and ready to deal
decisively with any group or persons who attempt to disrupt the peaceful
conduct of the elections or cause any form of public disorder.
Our
dear country, Nigeria is the largest democracy amongst black nations of
the world. We are a nation of great accomplishments, with a proud
history of evolving affinities.
Let us go out
tomorrow to vote peacefully and set a fitting example of political
maturity for other emerging democracies to follow.
I wish you all and our dear nation, very peaceful and successful elections.
May God Almighty continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
I thank you all.
Source:pulse mix: pulse.ng, re-posted by Abdulgafar Esho (www.econsforumnews.blogspot.com)
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