Don’t use political office to punish people, Jonathan tells politicians

OBIORA IFOH, Abuja

Immediate past President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has admonished leaders that are occupying political office not to use it as an opportunity to punish people but to improve their lots.

Speaking at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign rally in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on Tuesday,Jonathan   rejected the frequent change of political parties by the politicians as he extolled the qualities of PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Jonathan said any politician who wants to make money should go into business rather than politics which should be played with the people in mind.

He said: “My message is very clear and the same wherever I go to talk about Atiku Abubakar. Politics is a game that when you play you should have your people in mind. I always tell people that if you are interested in making money, go and establish business and run your business the way you want.

“But if you want political office, it is meant to be used for the good of the people, to improve society. It is not the office that you use to punish people.bThat is not the purpose of politics. And I can say categorically that Atiku Abubakar has been a friend of Bayelsans.”

He urged Bayelsa people to vote for Atiku as the next president of Nigeria because of his love for the Niger Deltan state.

The former President said about the former Vice President:  “Even when he was Vice President and I was just a Deputy Governor in Bayelsa State, he noticed me. Whenever I go to Abuja to represent then Chief DSP Alamiesegha to represent us then, I used to spend time with Atiku.

“Even as a Deputy Governor, I never knew I was going to be a Vice President one day, not to talk about President. But he recognised us. If Chief DSP Alamiesegha were still alive, you would have heard him clearly.

“This is somebody that appreciates Bayelsans, somebody that recognises Bayelsans, somebody that loves the Ijaw people.

“He is the kind of person that we Bayelsans must die to work for. He is the kind of person that will help us because he knows us, he has been relating with us. He is the kind of person that will bring the whole Nigeria together.

“He is the kind of person that can look among us and say one of your sons can be a Chief of Army Staff, DG DSS, Inspector General of Police, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Defence Staff or Minister of Defence because he has confidence in us and we also have confidence in him.

“Bayelsans, our eyes must be open. Let us not play politics of stomach and you mortgage the interest of your people.

“Politics is all about the people. Politics is not an individual business. And we have looked at all the candidates – all of them are good people – but among the good people, you will get the best. Atiku is the best candidate to be there in the State House, and use his hand lens and periscope and see the whole of Nigeria as his constituency and help to improve the quality of our lives.

“In Bayelsa State, we have been saying and I have to make it very clear: from the day I joined PDP in 1998 till today, I have never deviated. I always tell people, my one vote must go for PDP. And we don’t want you to be in PDP today and tomorrow you are in another party.”

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