The Presidency, Tuesday, countered the claim that President Goodluck was desperate for power in 2015.
It said the president had no plans to postpone the 2015 general elections as earlier claimed by the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Reacting to the speculations in Abuja on Tuesday, Senior Special Adviser to President Jonathan on public affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, described the claim as “idiotic”, saying that the achievements of the president would speak for him at the polls come 2015.
The presidential aide flayed the APC over what he tagged their “do-or-die and win at all cost” tendencies.
Okupe insisted that Jonathan had done credibly well to be returned to power in 2015.
Okupe, who spoke at the 2014 Nigerian Pilot/Newsworld Annual Public Lecture and Award, which held at Sheraton Hotels in Abuja Tuesday, frowned at the claim that Jonathan was planing to postpone the election in a bid to stay longer in office.
He further tongue-lashed APC for threatening to form a parallel government should it fail to remove President Jonathan after the 2015 general election.
He said: “I have followed politics for over 30 years; I have never ever been impressed by the Nigerian political elites, never. It’s a personal and self indictment but that is the truth. The struggle for power blind folds them and it is not a national struggle, it is a personal struggle and we are ready to do anything and everything.
It is not just the style. I was in NRC; I was in Geneva Convention, anytime we need to fight for a purpose, it is always do or die, me or nobody. And that is why we have not made progress. I am part of and will not exclude myself.
“I feel like-this are my thoughts-political parties should offer alternative platforms for people to consider- this is what I will do for the country, this is my background, you come, you say your own then allow people to choose.
“When people choose, that is the end of it. All politics should end the day you cast your ballots. I contested virtually all the elections, I have won very few, but I have never ever rigged an election for myself or for anybody. I have never done it.
“The Nigerian political class must- well I don’t want to say things that are rhetorical because it doesn’t make sense, but I want to say, must learn great lessons, but it is too late. Maybe the younger generation may have different perspectives. We have not undergone the election itself and people are saying that we will form a parallel government for an election you have not lost.
“We will form parallel government! Parallel to what? Supposing you win? When you have not undergone an election and you assume that you are going to lose, and that if and when you lose you will form parallel government. In very civil societies, people like that, whatever political tendencies they represent should totally be wiped off from people’s memories as bad teachers.
“Those are not people that will mean well for the country. If you are a politician, canvass for votes, say all the good things you know about yourself and your candidates and let the people decide.
I have also heard- it is not even a matter of hearing it, yesterday on twitter, another politician said that the president, Goodluck Jonathan, is fanning the war (against Boko Haram), so that the election can be postponed. That was quite idiotic.
“A man that is waiting to be crowned forgets that is the Otunba that is speaking….this is Africa, this is Nigeria, this is a president that has run and that has held the office for four years, to the glory of God he has been able to make some substantial performance, unarguably.
“Every indication points out to the lengthy road of his winning, so why will he want to stop the election that his likely opponent has no record of winning anything?
“It is unfortunate that they are on drugs …if Nigeria were to be a private estate owned by some of us, with Goodluck Jonathan as the Managing Director and Chief Executive of that estate, will anybody change him for a Buhari?
“It is not likely, but because Nigeria doesn’t belong to anybody and the elites are not stakeholders, that is why people will want to use people just to get power, whether it is for good or for bad they really don’t care.
“So when people do things like this, it make issues and challenges that will come in 2015 very very frightful. As a matter of fact, the greatest problem we will have in post 2015 will be the acceptance of defeat by losers.
“I want to tell you for sure, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is not desperate, even till this morning, I had breakfast with him, and he is not desperate for power. If at this stage you ask why then is he running? He is running on the basis of principle.
“He is a good Christian and a responsible man. The Bible says no man having put his hand on the plough and turneth back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
“That is why we are running. We have done so well, we have been encouraged by so many people. We have got the best stars in the firmament. They tell you things, they say that the president is clueless, that is a joke.
“Let’s just assume for a minute that the president is clueless, is Okonjo Iweala clueless? Can you say the Minister of trade and investment Olusegun Aganga is clueless also? The Director of Budget of this country is a Harvard graduate.
“These are jokers! My chairman Sir, I was not meant to speak here sir and I do not intend to speak for long. I want to thank the publisher and your team. I want to say here that you are very supportive of the government but you are also very critical of the government. Ladies and gentlemen I rest my case”.(Daily Post)
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