National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Chief Victor Umeh, said yesterday the party endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan for re-election for Nigeria’s unity.
Speaking to newsmen at the weekend shortly after the rally organized by the Join Jonathan Journey (JJJ) at the Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, where the party announced its support for Jonathan’s second term bid, Umeh said Jonathan’s re-election has become necessary for Nigeria’s success.
Umeh’s clarification came just as Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, announced an automatic senatorial ticket for Umeh for the Central zone in the 2015 general elections.
Obiano, who is APGA leader in Anambra, said at the rally that while the party was endorsing President Jonathan’s bid for 2015 and would also not present any presidential candidate, it would contest all other positions in the elections, adding, “in APGA, we have only one candidate and that is the National Chairman, Chief Umeh for Anambra Central Senatorial Zone, others will go through party primaries.”
Noting that APGA has remained a strategic partner to the Jonathan administration, Umeh said APGA lauds the President’s achievements. He said: “We love the work Jonathan is doing, Jonathan remains a bridge towards Nigeria’s unity and he has demonstrated so many things that would make his re-election imperative for Nigeria to succeed.
“Apart from his humility and focus in dealing with developmental challenges, he did one remarkable thing, he convened a national conference where all Nigerians came together to discuss the problems facing Nigeria. That is the only thing a good leader can do, to seek to know what is wrong with the country and how to come out of the problem.
“He has demonstrated that and he has enthroned democracy in Nigeria by making sure that votes of the people count in elections, that is the greatest gift any leader can give to democracy in his country. Now we have witnessed many elections in the country, those who win; those who lose, lose and heavens will not fall.
“So, he is somebody we should encourage, by the time he worked for another four years from 2015, I am sure Nigeria will become a very strong democracy and most importantly, the challenges he is facing today are ill conceived. People are trying to sabotage his Presidency because of his humility and we have decided to come back in 2015 like we did in 2011, we will do even more now to stand behind him so that he will continue to be President of Nigeria for another four years.”
Umeh said APGA in supporting Jonathan was not unmindful that it and the President were in different political parties but stressed that the support would make Jonathan win 100 per cent in the South- East.
He said: “If APGA does not agree, it will be difficult for him no matter what they are telling him. On our own, we know that he is the cement in the Nigeria’s unity that we need, we are coming out again without any prompting to re-endorse him for 2015.”
