Among Nigerians living in Benin Republic, echoes are resonating, urging President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to contest for reelection. Recently in Lagos, the President/Coordinator, Goodluck Development Foundation (GDF), Dickson Kalu Uwakwe, told our correspondents that Jonathan had no rivals capable of denying him victory. Excerpt:

What does GDF represent?

I am the coordinator of GDF in Benin Republic. I am part of it because it is all about good governance, grassroots development and for the good of all Nigerians both home and abroad. GDF is a foundation of the president, established in all the 36 states of Nigeria and in the Diaspora. I stand as the coordinator of Diaspora in Benin Republic and we all want the good of Nigeria. GDF was inaugurated on 19th August, 2014, at the Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja. This is to say that we are registered and we have our executives. The ambassador of Nigeria to Benin knows about it, the president of Nigeria and all concerned Nigerians, living in Benin also know about it.

What are you out to achieve through your foundation? 

Our foundation speaks the truth without blackmailing anyone. We are prepared to give Jonathan the maximum cooperation, starting now, during and after the 2015 elections. If other regions have ruled Nigeria for so many years without complaints, we believe that Jonathan deserves the second tenure. So, we have to give him that chance. I don’t really see the opposition, but sometimes I regard them as propagandists because when somebody does something good, such person deserves a well done. What is your take on some Nigerians, telling Jonathan not to contest again?

The president has not offended us and we believe he deserves the second tenure. He has done more than any of the past presidents in this country. We need him to be back and finish his tenure and move Nigeria forward.

Does Jonathan have the pedigree to defeat his opponents, if he decides to contest come 2015?

Jonathan has no rivals as far as Nigeria is concerned. The other parties know that they are jokers. I had opportunity to meet with, at least, two leaders of one of the parties, what they told me was that ‘we are playing politics; we know Jonathan has been doing well but we cannot tell Nigerians because we need the power’.

Is GDF mainly a campaign movement for President Jonathan?

No. We do a lot and had given a lot of people scholarship in Benin Republic, especially university students. We have also visited different prisons. Nigeria as the giant of Africa has its citizens in almost all the countries. Most of the Nigerians in Benin prison are not guilty of the charges leveled against them, so we go there and pay for their bail. We also attend to issues and allegations reported to the embassy because most times, the ambassador calls me to attend to some of these issues, involving Nigerians.

How long will Jonathan continue to fund this project?

The most important thing is that Jonathan never brings out money for any of these our activities. Some Nigerians, who believe that the government has done well are the ones funding us. This our foundation has a lot of sponsors and patrons, even on our inauguration, people like Senator David Mark, former senate president, Ibrahim Mantu, former governor of Anambra State,  and many others were present.