Jonathan represents Light & Buhari represents Darkness, says Fani Kayode

Ahead of its campaign kick-off today in Lagos, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that Nigerians should not vote for the APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, because he represents the forces of darkness, while President Goodluck Jonathan represents light, and that its array of popular candidates, a verifiable record of performance as well as the support of a majority of the voting population, will make it win overwhelmingly in the February general election.

Director of Media and Publicity for Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode said this in Abuja on Wednesday, while PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement said: “The PDP stands out as the only party that commands genuine followership among Nigerians, irrespective of religious and ethnic affiliations,” adding that this “will drive the voting pattern and reflect accordingly in the results of the presidential, governorship, National and States Assembly elections across the federation.”

“This election is beyond propaganda and empty popularity claims in the social media. Nigerians will vote; their votes will count and this will give us victory. This is because we are running on a record of verifiable achievements of our elected and appointed officers at the federal and state levels.

“Our presidential candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan, and our great party have suffered undue criticisms from misguided quarters. The opposition has tried so hard to taint our image. They have made efforts to portray us in bad light. They have insulted, abused and maligned us, but we have refused to be defined by their propaganda and deceit. We and many more innocent Nigerians became victims of bad politics by desperate individuals who promote divisions and violence in their selfish quest for power.

“Nevertheless, our satisfaction is that a majority of Nigerians appreciate our sincerity, our achievements and above all, our commitment in sustaining our democracy and the unity of our dear nation in the face of daunting challenges.”
In highlighting the cardinal areas the PDP has performed and on which the campaign is likely to be based on, the party’s spokesman said the various remarkable performances of “Nigerians appreciate that it is not by chance but through hard work and careful planning that our economy grew to become one of the fastest growing economies in the world and the largest in Africa.

“It is also to the credit of the PDP-led administration that freedom and personal liberty, essential components of democracy, have been enhanced.

“Today, Nigerians relish all forms of freedom, social justice, and fairness in line with the ideology and manifesto of the PDP.

“Our president has proven to be a meticulous leader whose policies and actions are a product of deep reflection and consultations. He has been able to withstand all kinds of pressures, even in the most challenging circumstances. At the state level, the sterling performance of our governors in transforming their states and delivering democracy dividends to their citizens speaks volume of our party’s covenant with the people and commitment to good governance.

“Indeed the PDP remains the most popular political party in Nigeria commanding the respect and support of the majority of the voting population in all the nooks and crannies of our country.

“In the north, apart from the fact that the PDP is in control of the administration of 12 out of the 19 states in the region, our party commands grassroots support and will win majority of the votes in our original states of Sokoto, Kano, Nasarawa and Kwara. Also with our very strong support base, we are certain of impressive performance in Borno, Yobe and Zamfara States where the policies and programmes of the PDP-led Federal Government have directly touched the lives of the ordinary Nigerians.

“In the south, the PDP is in good stead not only to win overwhelmingly in states under our control, but also majority of the votes in our original states of Imo and Rivers where the APC has not been able to match our achievements. This is in addition to Lagos and other South-west states where our popular candidates and as well as positive impact of our policies and programmes on the people speak for us.”

Stating that it remains committed to peaceful and credible elections, the PDP however urged Nigerians to “continue to be alert and resist the antics of the opposition, who plot to instigate violence and truncate the democratic process in the face of crushing defeat”.

The PDP insisted that despite its alleged imperfections, “the alternative does not represent a viable option for the growth and sustenance of democracy as they lack substance in policies and programmes”.