Nothing can stop 2015 general elections — Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that the 2015 general elections would be conducted safely despite the security challenges in some parts of the country.
Jonathan, who disclosed this at the 2014 Democracy Day Interdenominational Church Service held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, said elections would hold next year as scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said the abduction of girls at the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno state, was a major dent on the nation’s security, stressing that the abduction was a sign that Nigeria was facing challenges of evil forces but nothing was impossible for God to do.
He said: “We have been witnessing terror attacks for two years plus, but the Chibok incident has added a major dent to the security of the country. There is nothing God cannot do. With your prayers, our girls will be seen by our security personnel.

“After today, the next Democracy Day will witness a new government. I remember when I was in my village this morning to collect my permanent voters card and a pressman asked me whether there will be election in Nigeria and I told him there will be elections in the country. This country will continue to move in spite of some of the setbacks we are witnessing.”
He said the objective of those unleashing violence on the nation was to bring down the present government, stressing that despite their evil machinations, the country would continue to move forward.

Jonathan said the democracy which the nation had been practicing for the past 15 years is that every public office holder knows the terminal date of his administration, adding that despite the problems associated with democracy, it remained the best form of government.
He said four or 10 years were not enough to develop a country because nation building was a continuous exercise.
“Definitely, we cannot build a nation in three years. This government is three years old. By May 29, next year, we would have completed our four years. Even four years, even 10 years are not enough. Nation building is a continuous process. The most important thing is to start very well and continue to do things very well.”
He said revamping the rail sector, privatisation of the power sector, housing sector, industrial development, remodeling of the nation’s airports and the reforms in the agricultural sector were clear signs that the present transformation promised to Nigerians were not mere political promises.