Jonathan not desperate to be re-elected -Okupe

President Goodluck Jonathan is not desperate to be re-
elected come 2015 despite the fact that all indication points
to the fact that he will win the presidential election next
year, his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr.
Doyin Okupe, has said.
Okupe, while reacting to statements made by opposition
politicians against the present government, said his boss was
in good standing to win the election.
He spoke at an annual public lecture and award ceremony
organised by the Pilot Newspapers in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said, “On the coming elections itself, people are saying
that we will form parallel government for an election you
have not lost. We will form parallel government, parallel
to what? In civilised societies, people like that whichever
political tendency they represent should totally be wiped off
from peoples memories as politicians because they don’t
mean well for the country.
“Yesterday on twitter, another politician said that
President Goodluck Jonathan is planning a war so that
the election can be postponed; it is quite idiotic. This is a
president that has been in office for four years and has
made some substantial performance unarguably. So every
indication points to the likelihood of his winning. Why will
he now want to stop the election that his opponent has no
record of winning anything?”
Okupe said the greatest problem Nigeria will face post
2015 “will be the acceptance of defeat by whoever loses. I
want to tell you for free, President Jonathan is not
desperate even till this morning. I had breakfast with him
and he is not desperate for power.”
The SSA also added, “People will now ask why is he
running? He is running on the basis of principle. He is a
good Christian and a responsible man. The Bible says no
man having put his hand on the plough and turneth back is
fit for the kingdom of God and that is why we are
running.”
He said Nigerian politicians’ struggle for power was based
on selfish interests, adding that “every time we need to
fight for power it is do or die; me or nobody. And that is
why we are not making enough progress.
“Ideally, a good political party should offer alternative
platforms for people to consider. I have contested many
elections and have won very few but I have never ever
rigged an election for myself or for anybody.”