2019: Jang Declares for President

BY CHAMBERLAIN ODEY, JOS – The Senator representing Plateau North Senatorial district in the National Assembly, Jonah David Jang, on Wednesday declared for the 2019 presidency.
Senator Jang, who is the immediate past governor of Plateau state, arrived the State PDP secretariat, opposite the NTA, along Yakubu Gowon Way, Jos at about 11:49am, accompanied by political associates
and party faithful, to present his expression of interest form and to formally make the declaration, confirming that he intends to pursue his presidential ambition on the platform of the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP.
Addressing the state Executive of the party before a capacity and cheerful crowd at the secretariat premises, Jang described this day he made the declaration as “a special day that the Lord has made”.
“I have come here to make history on behalf of myself, my family, the people of my constituency, Plateau state, the Middle Belt of Nigeria, and the entire nation”, Jang said as he unfolded his declaration.
He said further that “I have come to formally and officially announce my interest and decision to join the contest for the presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the coming 2019 general elections”.
Explaining his motivation and decision, Jang quipped that “I have followed developments in this nation from its pre-colonial political life and the struggle of the founders of our democracy to
independence, and the giant strides made as well as the challenges that followed”, noting further that “the dreams of the founders of Nigeria were gigantic, the hopes were huge, but all of them were achievable”.
Continuing, Jang explained that, “while we have come a long way, and we have made huge gains in different sectors, we have also suffered many
distressing challenges in our nationhood”.
“Today, Nigeria has increasingly become a divided nation, and the bases for our unity are being eroded. We face enormous security challenges emanating from the proliferation of small arms and light
weapons, the increased wave of armed banditry leading to the annihilation of complete hitherto peaceful communities, armed communal
clashes, religious fundamentalism, armed robbery, insurgency, and unhindered kidnapping, among others”, Jang enumerated, regretting that “the ideals of the founding fathers of this nation are getting farther away from the people”.
Thus, the presidential aspirant said “I have come with a mantra of Restore Nigeria, because I see an urgent need to bring back the founding dream, hope, aspirations, and perceptions of greatness of our
nation. I believe we can make it to the ten top nations of the world in no distant future. I have come to help position the country in that direction through purposeful leadership”.