I hardly get what I want in life, says President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday told a gathering of the Peoples Democratic Party leaders in the Presidential Villa, Abuja that he hardly gets what he looks forward to in life.

Jonathan, who boasted that no party would defeat the PDP during the 2015 polls said sometimes, things that he did not think about are the ones he gets.

The President spoke while hosting members of the Presidential Declaration Committee led by a former Minister of Defence, Dr. Haliru Bello, to a luncheon.

The committee which he formally dissolved during the luncheon was the brains behind his formal declaration on November 11 in Abuja.



Jonathan said, “In my own life, the things I look for I hardly get. It’s what I don’t even think about that I get sometimes. I believe most of you will smile. But collectively, first and foremost, let us unite the party and work together for our collective victory.”

He advised PDP’s aspirants at all levels not to see their aspirations as a do-or-die affair because   the world does not begin or end with the offices they are aspiring for.

The President said even if somebody blocked them from getting to the office, God might be preparing something better for them.

Jonathan disclosed that he was taking note of happenings in some states ahead of the elections and would compensate some aspirants.

He said, “Let me use this unique opportunity to plead with all of us who are aspiring for electoral offices that the world does not begin and end with the office you are looking for.

“Sometimes, you would be looking for an office, you may not be able to get it for one reason or the other. Let us say somebody blocked you, so be it, let somebody block you.

“But if God wants something better for you, even after that blocking, you will get something else.

“I plead with all of us that we should not play the do-or-die, except I get it, let the party sink. We are taking inventory of all what is happening in all the states and I promise that we will try and use as many people as possible.

“There are challenges in some states. People may deliberately block you. You may even be the best candidate in that particular constituency, but let us move ahead.”

Jonathan also boasted that he had yet to see any party that would beat the PDP in the elections.

He said while opposition parties would continue to “make noise,” they cannot beat the PDP, which according to him,   does things differently.

The President added, “I’m yet to see those who can beat the PDP. They will continue to make the noise but they cannot beat us, because the gap between PDP and others is very wide.

“The way we do things and the way they do things are very different; the way we talk and the way they talk are very different; the way we reason and the way they reason are very different.

“Our commitment to transform this country and their thinking about Nigeria are very different. And I promise you my party men and women and indeed all Nigerians that with your support, collectively we must move this country to where we want it to be.

“Every day, every week and every month, we must add something; we must change and continue to change.”

Jonathan also thanked all party faithful for their support before his declaration, admitting that there had never been a time in the nation’s political history that there had been a lot of opposition coming up every day.

He said but for their support, his administration could not have achieved the little it had done.

Jonathan said with his endorsement by all organs of the party, he had become “a privileged aspirant.”

Despite the privilege however, Jonathan admitted that it was only after the party’s national convention that he could be referred to as a candidate.

Culled from Punch