President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has revealed his
administration gave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) all
the necessary support to deliver free, fair and credible elections in the
forthcoming coming 2015 general elections beginning tomorrow, Saturday, March
28 through April 11.
“I made a commitment on assumption of office to
progressively deliver freer, fairer and more credible elections in our
country,” Jonathan asserted.
ITRealms reports
that President Jonathan made this assertion in his national broadcast delivered
today Friday on the eve of the general elections 2015.
“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,” President Jonathan assures.
On the other hand, he said that INEC has assured on its
readiness for the elections, and he believe Nigerians trust they are certainly
ready than ever before, especially prior to the rescheduling of 2015 general
elections.
He expressed hope that millions of Nigerians who were yet to
receive their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) as at February 14, and would have
been unfairly disenfranchised if the polls had gone ahead on that date, seized the opportunity of the
re-scheduling to collect their cards and could now exercise their right to vote
tomorrow.
He also commended the gallant Nigerian 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,” he noted.
President Jonathan further warned those who may be planning
to ferment troubles, during and after the elections to rethink.
“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,” he said.
Democracy, he insisted allows dissent, but it encourages
differences and even fervent disagreements, yet elections must never be
mistaken for war or an opportunity to set fellow citizens against each other
and tear a beloved nation apart.
Full text of President’s address:
Dear Compatriots,
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. This
much-cherished democracy of ours is about to be put to the test once
again.
7. I
urge you all to troop out en-masse to peacefully perform your civic duty of
voting for leaders of your choice tomorrow.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. I
also thank all Nigerians for keeping faith with us over the past six weeks.
17. 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.
18. The will of
the people freely expressed through the ballot is the bedrock of all
democracies and ours cannot be an exception.
19. 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.
20. My administration
has done its utmost best in the past four years to deliver on our promise to
positively transform our country.
21. Tomorrow’s
election is another very important milestone as we continue our march towards
the fulfillment of our God-given potential for greatness.
22. 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.
23. I will like
to restate my belief that no political ambition can justify violence or the
shedding of the blood of our people.
24. 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.
25. 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.
26. 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.
27. 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.
28. 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.
29. 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.
30. Let us go out
tomorrow to vote peacefully and set a fitting example of political maturity for
other emerging democracies to follow.
31. I
wish you all and our dear nation, very peaceful and successful elections.
32. May God
Almighty continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
33. I thank you
all.
*NATIONAL BROADCAST BY PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCFR ON
THE 2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS, FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015.ITREALMS ... delivering news for development
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