Former president Goodluck Jonathan has declared his interest to run for the presidency in 2019 in Bayelsa State today. A jubilant crowd erupted as news leaked that the former president would be holding a press briefing this afternoon. In a statement released by his media secretary, the former president said, he has been inundated with calls from famous Nigerians to reconsider and salvage the economy from the current decay under the APC led government.
The statement reads in part: “A while ago I stood at the stood Eagle Square, to offer myself for election as the President of our beloved country on the platform of our great party; the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). I decided to run for office because of the many troubles our dear country faced. In a hotly contested election, we ‘lost’ the election to the opposition. We would have rejected the election results but decided my personal ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian.
“I made it clear then that when I leave office, Nigerians will understand the freedom they enjoyed under my administration. Are my I saint? Certainly not. Were my Ministers saints? Certainly not. But the opposition have unleashed untold hardship on Nigerians. I read from the news how power generation dropped to zero for a few hours. I read how the minister of State petroleum told Nigerians that he is not a magician to fix Nigerian oil problems. As we speak, subsidy regime has returned. As we speak the current government have reverted pump price to where we left it.
“Over the years, the Almighty God has made it possible for me to develop a bond with you and I am grateful for your support and understanding in the difficult periods we have journeyed through. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, as I stand here this day being April 1, I declare to you that our stewardship has not been without challenges. We dealt with waves of insurgencies, vandalization of our nation’s pipelines and armed banditry. Let me crave the indulgence of all present here to stand up to observe a minutes silence in honor of fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers who lost their lives in Agatu. The situation in Agatu and elsewhere has cast a dark cloud on our Nation but we will surely win. A number of young men and women have been kidnapped by these criminal elements including our daughters from Enugu and Kanu States.
“During my tenure, we established a Presidential Initiative for the North East, the Victim Support Fund and the Safe School Initiative. These programs built Almajiri schools and opened brand new universities across all regions in this country. I read how the APC led government dissolved the governing board of universities and sacked the vice chancellors. We did what we did to better the lots of less privileged among us. Today, those dreams are but a mirage.
“I am grateful to all Nigerians for standing with me and my ministers despite the persecution we have so far face by the current administration. Let me also thank the leaders and elders of our great party, the People’s Democratic Party, for the opportunity reposed on all PDP governors and House of Assembly members. I am overwhelmed by the trust, confidence and support of the various organs of our party, the Board of Trustees, the National Caucus, the National Executive Committee, the National Working Committee, the PDP Governors Forum, members of the PDP Caucuses of the National Assembly, and others. This trust showed itself in the just concluded Rivers state re-run elections. This day affords me the opportunity to continue the conversation of development we started together. We must develop our country.
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