2015 Elections not my focus, says President Goodluck Jonathan
Obviously worried by the negative publicity which the rumoured second-term ambition of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has constituted, the presidency has warned political gladiators to stop heating-up the polity over the matter. A statement issued by Dr. Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity noted “with deep concern the growing furore in political circles and the media over his alleged plans to seek re-election in 2015”. Abati specifically stated that “what began as an irritating distraction some months ago, appears to have now assumed a life of its own, dominating political discourse in the country, with all kinds of mischief-makers and opportunists latching on to it, to heat up the polity unnecessarily”. He described the recent media attention generated by the presumed second term ambition as “pointless, diversionary and very distractive hue and cry”, noting that the negative debate has become increasingly disturbing by the day with headlines such as “JONATHAN’S 2015 AMBITION CAN BREAK UP NIGERIA” and “JONATHAN’S 2015 AMBITION FUELING INSECURITY,” now regular fare in our newspapers and on the internet”.
The statement again restated President Jonathan’s commitment to transformational agenda as promised Nigerians during the electioneering campaign. According to the statement, “for the avoidance of any doubt whatsoever, President Jonathan wishes to reiterate that his primary concern and the focus of all his efforts now, just about a year into the four-year tenure for which he was elected in April 2011, is to deliver on his promise of positive national transformation”. Abati assured Nigerians that “the President’s sole preoccupation as the nation moves towards the first anniversary of his administration on May 29, 2012 is to continue to give effective and purposeful leadership that will steer Nigeria towards overcoming its immediate security and developmental challenges”.
The statement also affirmed that “nothing could be farther from President Jonathan’s mind at this point in time than the 2015 elections. The President has definitely not directed or authorized any individual or group to launch any campaign on his behalf”. The statement reminded Nigerians that “the inordinate ambition of a few self-centred Nigerians and their obsession with the politics of political succession in 2015 must not be allowed to distract the nation and its current leadership from the task of dealing with the much more urgent issues of development and the safety of Nigerians in all parts of the country”. The President therefore “urges the political class and the Nigerian mass media, once again, to focus on the immediate priority of protecting, preserving and consolidating democratic governance in Nigeria, and giving the nation’s current crop of elected leaders at all levels the opportunity to deliver on their promises to the people without the distraction of an unending campaign for future elections”.
