Nigeria Content Online

The Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday allayed fears that its candidate, Goodluck
Jonathan, will find it difficult to secure victory in the South West and North
West geo-political zones of the country during the April 9 presidential
election.

The director of youth of the PCC, Dare Adeleke, who stated this
in a chat with journalists in Abuja, said that reports from the field indicate
that Mr. Jonathan, who is the incumbent president, has massive support in the
two zones.

He faulted the permutations that the Congress for Progressive
Change (CPC) flag-bearer, Muhammadu Buhari, and Nuhu Ribadu of the Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN) will defeat the president in the aforementioned
zones, saying they were wrong.

Mr. Adeleke said Nigerian youth of voting age who are fully
determined for change are prepared to ensure victory for Mr. Jonathan. He said
his interaction with youth across the geo-political zones show that religion
and ethnic affiliations would not be factors that would shape 2011 presidential
election.

“Various youth organisations have been trooping to Legacy House
(Jonathan’s campaign headquarters) and all they have been doing is to express
their support and participate in the emergence of the man, Goodluck Jonathan,
as president and the whole secretariat has been appreciative of their
solidarity.

“They are determined to make the new dispensation truly
government of the people and it showed in their massive turn out during the
voter’s registration exercise and it was certainly because of the love they
have for President Jonathan. You know they used to show this indifferent
attitude before. But there is a change of attitude this time around, not only
to voter’s registration, but voting for Goodluck Jonathan,” Mr. Adeleke said.

Shun violence

Mr. Adeleke described the south west as Mr. Jonathan’s second
home, stressing that it was the reason the people of the zone trooped out to
attend his campaign rally in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, a few weeks ago.

He said the council is planning to visit universities to
mobilise the youth while enlightenment programmes would also be organised to engage
them on the need not to partake in violence during the election period.

“We are also going to create a youth mobilisation committee to engage them
at the grassroot. We want to impress on them Mr. President message of one man,
one vote,” he said.