President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed confidence of victory in the presidential election scheduled for next Saturday. The President made this known at a book launch in Abuja, when he said that his quest to continue in office was not borne out of desperation.

The President who spoke during an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation said categorically: “I’ll surely win.”

The president reiterated his administration’s commitment of winning the war against insurgency, admitting the fact that they were initially underrated by the government.

But now, he said they were getting weaker and all territories under their control would be retaken within a month.

“They are getting weaker and weaker by the day. I’m very hopeful that it will not take us more than a month to recover the old territories that hitherto have been in their hands,” said the President.

While admitting that the authorities had under-estimated the militants, he also reiterated that the military lacked the resources to fight them until now.

The President said “Whatever goes wrong, I accept. Whatever goes right, I take the glory.”

Jonathan said that newly acquired military equipment, as well as co-operation with neighbouring countries had helped to push the insurgents out.

The president spoke during a book launch titled, “The People's Choice: The Story of President Goodluck Jonathan," written by Rev. Fr. Charles Imokhai held at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa.

While speaking at the launch, Jonathan said: “My second message is to all of us, especially those of us who are politicians. For all of us who want to serve, we should be ready to serve but we should not be desperate to serve our people.

"Sometimes, people ask me ‘Mr. President, from what we read and what we see, we see you still smiling and unruffled.’ Yes, nothing will really ruffle me because I am willing and ready to serve but I am not desperate to serve. That is what keeps me going.

"All of us who want to hold offices from the least, a counselor of a ward or a chairman of a council, a member of the state House of Assembly or member of House of Representatives, Senate, Governor or the President, if all of us are always ready and willing to serve our people but not desperate in that our mission, then of course Nigeria will be a better place for all of us."
Jonathan described the story of his life as that of humility as captured by the book.

"My dream is that one day, a product of Almajiri school will stand here as a President of this country.

"That is why I have been very passionate about education and I use to tell people that I grew up from a very poor background. But luckily Nigeria is not a cast society, if I was to be an Indian, I probably wouldn't even dream of being a commissioner in my state.

"This is because in a cast society, some people permanently belong to a lower class but Nigeria is an open society. So, you can move from the lowest level to the top but for you to do that one key thing is education and that is why I lay so much emphasis on education.

"That was why when I came here, I decided that every state must have a federal university," Jonathan said.