President Goodluck Jonathan said Thursday he was “humbled and overwhelmed” by the decision of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to endorse him as the sole candidate for the 2015 election.
In what appeared his first official remarks indicating an interest in a fresh tenure, Mr. Jonathan said he will not disappoint the party that trusted him well to offer the mandate, and promised to raise his performance if “re-elected”, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Mr. Jonathan was reacting to his endorsement by the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC, the governors and the Board of Trustees, between Wednesday and Thursday.
The NEC is the highest organ of the PDP. His endorsement by the party means no other candidate can seek the party’s nomination for the 2015 presidential elections.
Mr. Jonathan said his endorsement by the governors in particular is like an “atomic bomb”.
In his comments however, Mr. Jonathan refrained from formally accepting or rejecting the endorsement, apparently since he has yet to officially announce a bid for a re-election as Nigeria’s president.
Mr. Jonathan said he would soon make a formal statement regarding his adoption by the party, and added that “the endorsement by NEC today caps it all and I remain most grateful”.
“I am so overwhelmed that I lack the words to express my gratitude. I am humbled by the confidence reposed in me, and I consider it as a big challenge, and from now on, I will triple my efforts in order not to disappoint you,” he said.
Boko Haram: Things will change by mid-October
The president said tremendous progress is being made in the war against Boko Haram and promised his party members that victory is on the horizon.
“God willing, between now and the middle of October things will change,” he said.
Mr. Jonathan repeated his usual explanation of the insurgency, saying terrorism is a global challenge.
“A meeting to discuss global terrorism will be discussed during United Nations General Assembly, and it will be chaired by US president, Barack Obama.
“Initially, I planned not to attend the Assembly this year, and I was expecting either the Minister or Vice President to go, but I will be attending specifically because of the meeting on global terrorism,” he said.
Nigeria is Ebola free
Mr. Jonathan said the country has succeeded in taming the outbreak of Ebola in the country, adding that efforts are still in place to ensure that the success recorded is maintained.
He said many countries were alarmed when Ebola was first reported in the country because, according to him “Nigerians travel a lot”.
The president recalled that a UK diplomat once told him that the UK embassy in Lagos issues more Visa to Nigerians more than any other of their embassies in the world.
“For that reason the world was alarmed when Ebola came to Nigeria. However, let me inform you all that presently, there is no Ebola in Nigeria,” he said.
“We have also fortified all our legal entry points at the moment such that things like Sawyer will not come in again,” Mr. Jonathan said.
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