Babangida Abdusalami recommended

President Goodluck Jonathan in Minna commended former Head of State retired Gen . Abdulsalami Abubakar for entrenching democracy in the country.
Jonathan made the commendation in Minna at a presidential campaign
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He held that the former head of state had the opportunity of perpetuating himself in office without any opposition but decided to hand over to democratic government.
`If he had wanted to stay in power for four years, he could have done so without any opposition, but he said one year was more than enough to transit from military to democratic rule.
He, therefore, said politicians must show gratitude to the man for allowing democratic tenets to flourish in the country “We are grateful to him for giving us democracy.’’
He said the country must learn to show gratitude to those who meant very well for the country,
Jonathan also commended the former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, for congratulating him after emerging as the PDP’s presidential candidate.
`I thanked him for his leadership qualities that had encouraged us to go on.’’
He said Babangida was like a father to him, whom he always consulted during his days as the Deputy Governor and Governor of Balyesa and later Vice President.
Jonathan said he was glad to be saved from the task of contesting for the PDP ticket with Babangida.
He reiterated his commitment to the unity of the country, pledging to run an open government devoid of discrimination against any Nigerian, no matter the tribe, religion, sex or background.
The president pledged to embark on wealth creation in his bid to tackle poverty amongst the teeming youths that constituted more than 70 per cent of the population of the country.
`Poverty does not recognise tribe, religion or boundary,’’ he contended.
Gov. Babangida Aliyu of Niger assured the president that two million votes, out of the 2.4 million registered voters in the state, would be delivered to him in the April presidential election.
He told the president to discountenance the negative votes of the Niger delegates during the party’s primary.
`It is part of politics. The people had put that behind them and they are committed to voting en masse for the president and other PDP candidates.
He told the gathering that the party cannot be intimidated by any one even though the party was trying to reconcile all the aggrieved persons to come back to the fold.
`You will form the next government by the grace of God.’’
Jonathan had earlier inaugurated the state PDP secretariat and “Goodluck Jonathan Place,“ an industrial layout named after him in Minna.