Abati Hopeful Patriotic Nigerians Will Re-elect President Jonathan

Channels Tv

A Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Media an Publicity, Reuben Abati, is optimistic that “patriotic Nigerians and not foreign opinion writers” will re-elect President Jonathan for the second term in office.

Contents of a press statement by Mr Abati listed the achievements of the incumbent president of Nigeria. Transportation, improvement of the economy and quality education were some of the achievements listed.

In the statement Mr Abati said: “We have noted with surprise, The Economist’s tongue-in-cheek endorsement of General Muhammadu Buhari in the run-up to Nigeria’s general elections and the international magazine’s baseless, jaundiced and rather malicious vilification of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who retains the trust and confidence of majority of Nigerians as the outcome of the Presidential elections will undoubtedly show.

The Least Awful

“We are sure that many Nigerians and other readers of the usually urbane, thoughtful and well-reasoned editorial opinions of the Economist will be shocked that the magazine has taken the very ill-considered decision to throw its weight behind a candidate who, as a former military dictator, curtailed freedom of speech, ordered the kidnapping of opponents and jailing of journalists, and is accused of incitement to violence and grave human rights violations in Nigeria’s current democratic dispensation.

“The Economist may feign ignorance of President Jonathan’s remarkable achievements as leader of his country in the past six years, but Nigerians who, unlike the magazine’s opinion writers, will actually vote in the country’s forthcoming presidential elections, know that President Jonathan has worked very hard to fulfill all the major promises he made to them on assumption of office.

“Nigerians know that President Jonathan has developed our economy and created more jobs, they know that he has given policy support to the real sector of the economy, so that Small and Medium Enterprises can thrive, they know that he has encouraged locally owned enterprises to take advantage of our resources in growing the domestic economy and they also know that he has successfully attracted greater foreign direct investment to the country.

Unlike the clearly poorly informed and distant authors of the Economist Opinion titled “The Least Awful”, appreciative Nigerians are also aware that President Jonathan has worked tirelessly to improve power supply across the nation, rebuild and expand national infrastructure, improve public transportation and provide greater access to quality education for all Nigerian youth”.

The President’s spokesman further said that President Jonathan had significantly improved health-care services, revolutionised agriculture, promoted gender equality and women empowerment, and done his very best to stem corruption in government.

he said that contrary to the Economist’s assertions, Nigeria, under President Jonathan had made very considerable progress.

“In spite of the significant challenges of terrorism and insurgency the nation faces today,President Jonathan has ensured that Nigeria has become a more vibrant democracy with free media, an independent judiciary, free, fair and credible elections, and greater respect for human rights.

The Economist is entitled to its erroneous opinion on who represents the best leadership option for Nigeria in the coming elections, but happily for the country, it is not the magazine’s lead writers, but more knowledgeable and patriotic Nigerians who actually work and live in the country, that will vote and re-elect President Jonathan for a second term in office.

They will do so, because unlike the Economist’s opinion writers, they understand that a Buhari Presidency will, for their beloved country, represent a stark setback and retrogression from the tremendous ongoing positive transformation of Nigeria under President Jonathan’s leadership,” Mr Abati said.