[b]Watch your tongues, PDP cautions aspirants  ||  President Goodluck Jonathan has said that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar lacked the moral integrity to assess his chances for the 2011 presidential race.

The president through his campaign organization stated this last night while reacting to a statement credited to Atiku who had said that Jonathan could not be trusted for the office of the presidency.

"Assessment of the personality, integrity and trustworthiness of the candidate is the prerogative of the Nigerian people and the electorate," the director of media of Jonathan/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation, Mr. Sully Abu stated in a statement.

"The Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organization has noted that in spite of President Goodluck Jonathan's clear articulation of the issue of zoning and the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the matter, Vice-President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has continued his campaign of calumny aimed at impugning the character and integrity of the President."

Abu said Atiku's comment on the president's personality was rather curious given his own antecedents and the fact that he was only recently admitted into the PDP after long running battles with his local Adamawa state chapter of the party.

According to him, "The Goodluck/Sambo Organization wishes to state categorically that the PDP zoning issue has been resolved by the party and enjoins all loyal members of the party to respect that position and stop using this as a diversion from tackling the real issues that affect the Nigerian people."

"We enjoin all aspirants for the 2011 presidential election rather than engage in diversionary tactics to conduct their campaigns based on what they can do for the country and its people."

Meanwhile, the president will this morning have breakfast with over 200 youths as part of his plans to mark the 50 years of Nigeria’s independence.

On of his senior aides told LEADERSHIP that Jonathan will use the forum to challenge the youths in the nation's current move for free, fair and credible elections. He will also challenge the youths to take their destiny into their hands and advise them to never again allow anti-democratic elements to have access to public offices for the sake of their future.

However, worried  by  the  inflammatory statements  from  the  camps  of  its  presidential  aspirants,  the  ruling  Peoples  Democratic  Party  (PDP) has  warned  the  presidential  aspirants  to  show  restraint  in  their  utterances.

The party  feared  yesterday  that  if  this  trend  was  not  checked, its  chances  in  the  general  elections  might  be  jeopardised.

The  National  Publicity  Secretary  of  PDP,  Prof.  Rufai  Ahmed  Alkali  said  yesterday  that  the  need  had  arisen  for  the  political  office  seekers  for  all  offices  to  reconnect  to  the  ideals  of  the  founding  fathers.

According  to  Alkali, "At this critical eve of the next General Elections, we call on all politicians to reconnect to the ideals of our founding fathers in eschewing every tendency that can exacerbate the fissures in our diversity. We urge all those seeking for elective offices in the 2011 General Elections to show maturity and restraint in their utterances and actions. It is time to imbibe the spirit of give and take as did our founding fathers, so as to avoid any effrontery on the adhesive of national unity".

Since  the  emergence  of  the  party's  presidential  aspirants,  their  respective  campaign  organisations  have  made  it  their  favourite  past  time  to  counter  each other’s positions with vigour.[/b]


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