President Jonathan's acceptance speech at PDP Convention

Below is GEJ's acceptance speech on his
victory at the PDP 2014 National Convention
Dec.10th-11th
Protocols
1. Mr Chairman, our dear delegates, today is
another great day in the history of our great
Party; The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
and indeed in the history of our great
Nation.
2. Nothing gives me greater joy, as leader of
our party, than such an opportunity as
presented today, for direct interaction with so
many enthusiastic and dedicated fellow party
members, and may I add, all proudly dressed
in our party colours and regalia.
3. It is also my pleasure to
be here as a delegate today and I
welcome whole heartedly all our
delegates, party members and all
Nigerians, from across the country and
beyond; including those joining us by
television and online, as we gather here
in the Eagle Square, to reaffirm the
noble democratic traditions and
foundations, that bind us together.
4. I thank the Party and the
Organizing Committee for a successful
convention. I thank all the delegates for
a smooth nomination process.
5. Let me congratulate, the
Chairman of our great Party, the game
changer, Alhaji Ahmed Adamu Muazu. I
have no doubt that the democratic
process we have witnessed here today,
and his confirmation as Party
chairman, are both pointers to the
consolidation of democracy in our
country as a whole.
6. There is no doubt that his
commitment to the ideals of our party,
his consistency and hard work, has
helped to reposition the party. And
today we are stronger, bigger, and more
in tune with the yearnings of our
people. Let me also congratulate
Professor Wale Oladipo and Alhaji
Adewale Adeyanju whose appointments
as National Secretary and National
Auditor, respectively, have been ratified
at this Convention.
7. Nigeria is undergoing great
changes at this time, and also
experiencing great challenges; so,
political parties must rise above the
fray, to provide hope and clear
direction, to propel the development of
our country.
8. As expected in every
contest, especially political contests,
the journey to this convention has not
been without issues in some
constituencies. Indeed, Party
Congresses from the ward to state
levels, and the legislative and state
primaries, have produced both triumphs
and some misgivings.
9. Without prejudice to
various on-going resolution
mechanisms, we will take steps, after
the elections to review and refine the
candidate selection procedures within
our party. An appropriate committee
will be set up to work on this, with
contributions across board.
10. I commend the efforts of the
supervising and appeal committee
members, who travelled across the
country to conduct and oversee the
primaries and congresses. I appreciate
also the dedication of the various
working committees and special
committees engaged in organising and
delivering all aspects of the election
season programmes.
11. Fellow delegates, dear party
members, while we congratulate our
candidates who have emerged at the
primaries, we must reassure all our
members, that our party remains a
large, accommodating and responsible
party.
12. We will make sure that
conflicts are amicably resolved and
that the genuine interest of every
member is respected and assured.
13. As party members, we must
be conscious of the responsibility we
hold to our Nation. The political party
is the vehicle for national organisation,
and the PDP is the foremost political
party in Nigeria.
14. For the sake of the entire
nation, we must, at this time, more
than ever, stand together as one united
party. We are all joint stake holders,
this party belongs to all of us.
15. What we have achieved today
should be a lesson to all who care
about Nigeria. What we have done
exemplifies our unity. What we have
done exemplifies our determination.
What we have done exemplifies our
purpose.
16. We are a Party that accepts
challenges. We are a Party that
confronts those challenges. But above
all, we are a Party that resolves
challenges. And it is exactly these
qualities that will lead us to victory.
17. Distinguished Delegates,
ladies and gentlemen, I stand before
you as your humble servant, to accept
your nomination as the Presidential
candidate of our great Party, the PDP.
18. Having placed great faith in
me and chosen me as your candidate, I
assure you, that I am truly honoured
tonight, to lead another electoral
contest.
19. This will be a campaign, and
an election, that will serve to
consolidate our successes.
20. I will give my all.
21. I will not let you down.
22. I will not fail the PDP.
23. I will not fail you.
24. Above all, I promise, I will not
fail our great nation, Nigeria.
25. This convention shows that
we are ready.
26. The PDP is ready.
27. Nigerians know we are ready.
28. And today in Abuja, we begin
the next phase of our mission.
29. Our mission is to secure
Nigeria’s future.
30. First of all, let me give
gratitude to God Almighty who has
sustained the nation.
31. There is much to say, but
permit me some special words of
gratitude. These last four years have
not always been easy, but through it
all, my wife has effortlessly taken care
of our home. So to you, my companion
and my foremost supporter, I thank you
from the bottom of my heart.
32. I also want to thank, the Vice
President, my brother, Arch Namadi
Sambo, and his dear wife. You have
both provided loyal support and
commitment to this presidency; working
with you for our people, has been a
pleasure.
33. The work and progress
recorded these past four years has been
possible because we have had the best
team possible. The Ministers, Advisers,
Assistants and staff that have formed
the Transformation team, have shown
great dedication, creativity and loyalty.
34. They have put in extra hours
when necessary, and always gone the
extra mile to ensure delivery. Today, I
thank them fervently for their patriotism
and hard work.
35. Our Party, the PDP, has been
the foundation of our Transformation
Agenda. I thank the Chairman and
Party Executive at all levels, the Board
of Trustees and National Working
Committee, the PDP Governors Forum,
Federal and state legislators,
Secretariat Staff and volunteers, across
the country. You have played your part
well, and I am indeed very grateful.
36. It is not a mere coincidence
that our National Convention this year
starts on the same day as the United
Nations World Human Rights Day. This
government, led by our Party, has made
the respect of human rights and
individual freedoms, the cornerstone of
our administration.
37. I did say during my
declaration on November 11, 2014, that
we are proud that no Nigerian has been
exiled or imprisoned on our watch, for
holding contrary views. We must ensure
that we continue to water the tree
bearing the fruits of freedom, for our
beloved people.
38. In the last 16 years, the PDP
has kept faith with the Nigerian people
by promoting and projecting a united
nation, under God. We have united our
people around common national goals
for the good of our citizens and the
development of our nation.
39. Through its years of office,
our great Party, the PDP created the
Anti-corruption agencies, that is, the
EFCC and the ICPC, the Excess Crude
Account, the Pension Reforms, Fiscal
Responsibility Regime, the Sovereign
Wealth Fund and various privatization
programmes.
40. We initiated Debt Relief, the
Amnesty Programme, the Presidential
Jobs Creation Board, Power Sector
Reforms and the National Infrastructure
Master-plan; the Nigerian Industrial
Revolution Plan, the National
Automobile Policy, the Freedom of
Information regime, the Nigerian
Mortgage Refinancing Company, and
the Infrastructure Bank, amongst
others.
41. At the advent of democracy in
1999, Nigeria’s GDP was 35.9 billion
US dollars. Today, it is 510 billion US
dollars - and we have become Africa’s
biggest economy. In 1999, our debt to
GDP Ratio was 93.1%. Today, it is 13.6
% of which external debt to GDP ratio is
1.89%.
42. As at 1999, only 400,000
telephone lines were active in our
country. Today, we have about 120
million lines, which have created many
more jobs for our youths.
43. This administration is also
working to revitalize our insurance
industry. Compared to other emerging
economies, our insurance industry has
not achieved its full potential. Today,
only 3 million of our citizens are
insurance policy holders, and overall
insurance penetration is less than 0.5
percent of our GDP. We want to
transform this sector, just as we have
done for our banking sector and our
pensions industry.
44. Our goal is to grow the total
insurance premiums in our country
from 300 billion naira currently to 1
trillion naira in the next three years.
And to increase the number of direct
jobs created in this sector from about
30,000 people today to over 100,000
people in the next few years.
45. My brothers and sisters, the
PDP as a party has delivered on its
promise. In the last decade, it has seen
to the largest expansion of the middle
class in Africa. Certainly, our Party has
a rich history of enduring legacies.
46. For those who defected from
the PDP, I enjoin you to tell the truth in
your campaigns. Many of the
developments in your States were
initiated by the PDP. So be honest with
the voters and give credit where it is
due.
47. In adopting the umbrella as
our symbol, we have become the
umbrella of the nation. Our politics has
not been defined by our differences, but
in forging the bond of oneness.
48. After our victory at the polls
in 2011, we articulated a
TRANSFORMATION AGENDA, which we
have faithfully implemented. The
agenda has created the framework of
our desire to promote and deepen
access to economic and social benefits,
through equal opportunities.
49. The Transformation Agenda is
helping to secure Nigeria’s future.
Thanks to this Agenda we have
remained focused, calculated and
measured in our decision-making. We
have focused on sustainable gains,
rather than quick fixes. We have
remained committed to our national
maxim of Unity and Faith, Peace and
Progress.
50. Today, it is to our collective
credit as a nation, that in spite of our
challenges, our unity remains solid. All
across our nation, the positive gains of
the Transformation Agenda are being
progressively enjoyed by our people.
51. During this campaign, some
office seekers will say it is “time for
change”, but while they were changing
from one name to another and from one
party to the other, we had already
brought change to Nigeria.
52. My dear delegates,
53. Has change not come to our
railway system?
54. Has change not come to our
airports?
55. Has change not come to our
roads network?
56. Has change not come to our
agricultural sector?
57. Has change not come to our
electoral process?
58. Has change not come to
Almajiri education?
59. Is change not coming to the
power sector?
60. Distinguished delegates,
ladies and gentlemen, what we need
today is to consolidate on our gains in
order to secure our future.
61. Our focus now must be on the
future and not on the past. We have
challenges but we are determined to
overcome them. And this we will.
62. These last four years, my
priority has been in building a strong
and stable economy. We have created
the enabling environment for
businesses to thrive. These are
essentials for securing Nigeria's future.
63. Back in 2008 and 2009, the
country faced strong economic
challenges arising from unstable oil
prices, but we confronted it consciously
and overcame. As the economic
challenges of oil price-fall, looms in the
months ahead, Nigeria needs tested
hands that will provide certainty, in an
uncertain world. We have a strong and
capable economic team, which has
already worked out strategies to
manage the oil price volatility and
curtail its effects.
64. Distinguished ladies and
gentlemen, our fight against corruption
is on course. Our systematic efforts
have been acknowledged and we will
do more in the coming years.
Corruption degrades development; we
will continue this fight, without
compromise.
65. In the past four years we
have run our administration with
respect for the principle of separation of
powers between the different arms of
government. The judiciary and the
legislature have independently and
introspectively pursued their own
reforms and greater self-expression.
66. With a fresh mandate, we
shall push for increased intra-party and
bi-partisan harmony, within the
legislature, and between the executive
and the legislature. The duty of
national development must never be
hindered by the over-politicization of
interests; this is what we owe our
people, and our nation.
67. Dear party faithful, beyond
security and corruption, there exist
environmental challenges, such as
desertification, which is threatening the
lives of our people, especially in the
frontline states of Adamawa, Borno,
Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi,
Jigawa, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara. We
have responded most appropriately by
implementing the Great Green Wall
Programme for which we have released
over 16 billion Naira.
68. Our determination to provide
a buffer of greenery that will stop the
advancement of the desert and reverse
the many losses of farmlands and
grazing grounds, streams and aquatic
life, among others, remains strong.
Similar programmes are being
implemented to save communities from
erosion in the West, East, and the
South-South parts of the country.
69. On my watch, the security of
all citizens shall continue to be of
utmost priority. With the exception of
the civil war, never before in the history
of our country have we faced the level
of threat we see today. I assure all
Nigerians that this Government will
continue to do whatever is required to
provide the security we deserve. It is
encouraging that the security situation
is improving, and by the grace of God,
elections will be conducted in all states
of the federation.
70. I call on all Nigerians,
irrespective of party or belief, to join me
in this fight against insurgency and
terror. We must be united. Bickering
and quarrels only serve to send the
wrong signals to terrorists and
insurgents, that we are divided in this
fight. More importantly it can also
demoralise our dedicated and brave
armed forces. This would be wrong. For
this reason, we must remain united.
71. I believe that together as a
people and with God on our side, we
shall defeat terror and emerge an even
stronger nation.
72. The experience in many
countries shows that there may be a
tendency for the escalation of violence
in an election year. We must not
succumb to blackmail. We must be
vigilant – every one of us. Only by
united action, can we defeat terrorism.
73. I salute our gallant armed
forces and security agencies who are
doing their best to keep our people
safe. We shall continue to ensure that
they have the best in terms of
equipment, training and conditions. I
appeal to our countrymen and women
to provide them with the fullest
support, and not to fall victim to those
who fan the embers of terror.
74. As a political party, we must
rededicate ourselves to the work of
securing our future. We are the party of
the people, and not just the elite. We
must lift the poor out of the depth of
want, onto the ladder of prosperity. We
will work to ensure that no child suffers
from basic needs. We must create equal
opportunities for women and the
physically challenged. We must give a
voice to all Nigerians.
75. And we can do all this!
Nigeria is not a land of despair. We are
a people who show commitment and
unity of purpose. Just look at how we
stood up to the Ebola Virus Disease.
We are a hard-working nation. And we
will go from strength to strength.
76. Our best days are before us,
not behind us. We must continue to
move forward.
77. In accepting your nomination
as flag bearer for the Presidential
Election, I once more accept the
challenge to serve our party and nation.
I will continue the work we have begun
with the Transformation Agenda.
78. I will work to secure Nigeria’s
future. I will serve with humility and
moderation, with simplicity and
forthrightness; with openness and
inclusiveness, and with firmness and
strength. I urge all Nigerians to support
me, to finish what we started together.
79. Fellow citizens, what we
need, more than anything else, is to
secure our country’s future, by building,
and not by destroying.
80. We can continue to build
upon the foundations we have laid so
far, we can continue with our economic
progress, we can continue improving
our infrastructure, we can continue
delivering better health care, we can
continue to improve our agriculture and
we can continue to safeguard individual
liberties and freedoms.
81. The choice before Nigerians
in the coming election is simple: A
choice between going forward or going
backwards; between the new ways and
the old ways; between freedom and
repression; between a record of visible
achievements and beneficial reforms -
and desperate power-seekers with
empty promises.
82. Fellow Delegates, dear Party
members, so much is at stake. Let me
remind everyone – party leaders,
mobilizers, members, men, women and
youth – that the hard work has only
just started.
83. As your Presidential
candidate and Party leader, I hereby
commission all delegates and party
faithful, as my campaign mobilizers, to
take our message of unity and
development back to your respective
states and communities, and to ensure
victory for all candidates of the PDP in
the forthcoming elections. Working
Together, we will do it!
84. Our political opponents shall
assail us with the fury of their
desperation to win power. They will use
every means – intimidation, false
accusations, hostile media and more.
Do not descend to their level. We must
stay focused on the mission at hand –
to secure Nigeria’s future.
85. Let me emphasise again, that
nobody’s political ambition is worth the
blood of any Nigerian . We must eschew
violence, even in the face of the most
outrageous acts of desperation.
86. We must make sure our
supporters have their voter’s cards. We
must get them motivated and eager to
make their mark. It will be a mark for
our children. It will be a mark for a
stronger economy. A mark that will
secure Nigeria’s future.
87. So my dear Party Men and
Women, let us take this campaign to
every Nigerian, every home and every
community.
88. We will campaign in peace.
89. We will campaign with hope
in our hearts.
90. We will campaign on the
facts and the truth.
91. We will campaign with issues
and ideas.
92. We will campaign on our
record of performance.
93. We will campaign to win.
94. Mr. Chairman, Distinguished
delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
95. Let me at this point invite to
join me on this podium, the Chairman
of our great party, Alhaji Ahmed Adamu
Muazu; the Chairman of our Board of
Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih; the Senate
President, Senator David Mark and his
wife; my dear brother, the Vice
President, Architect Namadi Sambo and
his wife, and particularly, my dear wife,
the First Lady, Dame Patience
Jonathan.
96. I seize the opportunity of this
occasion to formally announce that as
we commence the campaign for the
2015 Presidential elections, Architect
Mohammed Namadi Sambo, a loyal
and tested partner, a dependable,
trustworthy gentleman and a true
patriot will be my running mate and
Vice Presidential candidate once again.
97. With your continued support
and the blessing of God Almighty, Vice
President Sambo and I will campaign
together to win another resounding
victory for our great party in the
coming elections.
98. God bless you all.
99. God bless our great Party, the
PDP
100. God bless Nigeria
101. I thank you all.