President Goodluck Jonathan has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cannot be intimidated by its political opponents, insisting that the party remains firmly rooted across Nigeria.
Jonathan spoke yesterday while addressing participants at a one-day workshop and strategic meeting organised for members of the PDP Ward Volunteers Scheme at the Presidential Villa.
The President urged the party’s grassroots supporters to intensify their mobilisation efforts, noting that marketing the PDP also amounted to promoting its candidates ahead of the general elections.
“On behalf of all of us who are contesting, I thank you because when you market the party, you are marketing the candidates. You are doing well for our party,” Jonathan said.
He described the PDP as not only the largest political party in Nigeria but also one with an extensive grassroots structure, claiming that it had members at virtually every voting unit across the country.
“PDP is not just the largest party in Nigeria, but it is the only party that has members at all voting units. There is no other party, whether two, three, four or five parties coming together, that can reach that level,” he said.
Jonathan also highlighted the achievements of the PDP-led administration over the previous 16 years, particularly his administration’s efforts to open up different sectors of the economy and create opportunities for greater participation.
Fresh Poll Puts Buhari Ahead
Meanwhile, a fresh opinion poll cited in the report indicated that the presidential contest between Jonathan and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, was becoming increasingly close.
According to the March 1 poll, Buhari was leading Jonathan by 51 per cent to 49 per cent, representing a two-percentage-point margin between the two leading presidential candidates.
The poll, reportedly conducted by journalists and members of the Association of Online Media Practitioners, sought the views of Nigerians on their preferred candidate in the presidential election.
The findings suggested that Jonathan was gaining ground as the election approached, with the report attributing the development partly to his renewed engagements with different groups across the country.
This came shortly after the President’s meeting with various groups, including youths in Lagos on Sunday, March 1, 2015.
His administration’s renewed offensive against Boko Haram was also cited as a possible factor in the changing public perception of his candidacy.
At the time, intensified military operations had resulted in the recovery of several territories previously held by Boko Haram insurgents.
Jonathan had also stepped up his engagements with troops as Commander-in-Chief while using the six-week postponement of the general elections to consult traditional rulers, political leaders and other stakeholders across the country’s geopolitical zones.
With the election date moved to March 28, 2015, both major political parties intensified their campaigns as Jonathan and Buhari headed into a closely contested presidential race.
Additional reports from The Anchor Online.
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