The Peoples Democratic Party has identified the development of Nigeria as the major issue in its electioneering for next month’s general election.
The party also said President Goodluck Jonathan has performed creditably to deserve another term in office.
The Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, in a television programme over the weekend, said the election of President Jonathan for a second term would mean the continuation of Nigeria as a secular modern state and not one that is set back many years in terms of religion, stability and peace, among others.
He said: “We do have challenges.
“We know those behind those challenges and we know what they are trying to do, but as long as President Jonathan remains focused, given a second mandate, I assure you that Nigeria will continue on the path of 21st century.
“The second point is that the gains we have made in agriculture, the gains we have made in aviation, the gains we have made in every sector in this country will continue.
“The gains we have made in education, Almajiri education and so on, tertiary institutions, building of federal universities and indeed state universities by the PDP governors in the North West and North East will go on.
“They are the only ones that have done that.
“The APC governors have not built one airport in the North West or one airport in the North East.
“Neither have they built any university.
“Every single state in the North West and North East that has built universities and airports over the last four years is a PDP state.
“That is the sort of things that North would expect if Jonathan continues in power.
“We will also expect the consolidation of the efforts made in fertilizer sector, which was a beehive of corruption before.
“He has cleaned all that and put in place a number of reformatory measures that will not allow corruption to take place anymore.
“When you come down to the South, you will find the type of cohesiveness that exists in various sectors, the kind of cohesiveness that exists in the zones and, of course, the peace and freedom, the fact that I can say anything I like about the president without the fear of being locked up, without the fear of being intimidated or killed.
“We have no political exile in Nigeria anymore.
“Nobody has to run away because he or she is anti-government.
“We have no political prisoners in this country.”
Fani-Kayode said the All Progressives Congress has nothing to offer Nigerians.
He alleged that the APC’s presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, said he would make Nigeria ungovernable if he did not win the election.
He said: “What they are offering is a man that said that Moslems should vote for Moslems in this country in any election.
“What they have offered is a man that said he would spread Sharia to every corner of this country, if he is given power.
“This is a secular state.
“This is a country where religious freedom should be adhered to and has been accepted since 1960.
“Jonathan is offering that freedom.
“What the APC is offering is a man that has questioned why Christians should worry about Sharia since it is a Moslem affair in a secular state in a modern country.”
Fani-Kayode stated that when Boko Haram killed over 20,000 innocent Nigerians in the North and the Federal Government proscribed the group, the APC and Buhari had said the action was unjust and unconstitutional, stressing: “That is what the APC is offering: a return to the dark days.
“What we are saying is that when you take the two together and look at them: PDP/Jonathan and APC/Buhari, any sane, sensible Nigerian would say the PDP and Jonathan are far better choice than Buhari and the forces of darkness that he represents.
“That is why we (PDP/Jonathan) are going to win.”