The National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday in Abuja unanimously adopted President Goodluck Jonathan as the party`s sole candidate for the 2015 presidential election.

This followed the earlier adoption of the president as the party`s sole candidate by other organs of the party at its 66th NEC meeting.

The organs include the party`s Board of Trustee (BoT); National Working Committee (NWC); PDP Governors Forum; National Assembly members and women organisations.

President Jonathan, however, said that he would double the development strides of his administration if he was re-elected in 2015.

“Let me commend our party elders, BoT members and PDP governors for adopting me as the sole candidate of the party for 2015 election. I am totally overwhelmed that I lack words to express myself. Let me quickly thank our governors who initiated that action.

“I also thank members of NEC for without them, no matter what anybody does, you are on your own. For NEC also to endorse that decision, I am really most great full.

“For you to have that kind of confidence in me is a big challenge that means that God willing, we will go through and what ever we have achieved, we will get it in three fold.’’

This, the president said, was the only way to ensure that the party was not disgraced and that party members were happy with the decision taken.

“I promise I will not disappoint you,’’ he said.

He said that insecurity was the country`s greatest challenge and was assuming a terror dimension.

“Terror is a global problem and Nigeria is having its fair share of this problem and the Nigeria situation is going beyond terror.

“When terrorists attempt to install leadership, it is no longer terrorism; it is almost like going in the line of secession which no country will accept,’’ he said.

He, however, stressed that the Federal Government was doing every thing possible to bring the situation under control.

“ We are working very hard; we are rebuilding our infrastructure in terms of security infrastructure and God willing, between now and middle of October, things must change drastically.’’

He expressed sympathy to the families of those who died at the recent Kano bomb blast and Kaduna state tribal crisis.

The president also thanked Nigerians for joining effort with the Federal Government to fight the Ebola virus in the country.

Senate President David Mark, who moved the motion for the adoption of President Jonathan as the PDP sole candidate for the 2015 election, said the decision was unanimously taken by members of the house.

“ We don’t only preach continuity, we believe in continuity and we act it. The PDP caucus of the National Assembly believe that what we are announcing here today is not just for President Jonathan alone, but a legacy that will outlive all of us.

“It is on this bases that PDP senators in the house and members of the House of Representatives took a decision long ago that the president be adopted as the sole candidate of the party for 2015 election.’’

Gov. Babagida Aliyu of Niger said the PDP Governors Forum unanimously took the decision at its Sept. 17, meeting.

Mrs Justina Eze moved the motion on behalf of PDP women.

Dr Haliru Mohammed, former Minister of Defence and one time acting PDP National Chairman, moved for the adoption of the motions raised.

This, he said, was to enable the party to present “one front at the 2015 election to avoid argument’’.

He said a winning team should not be changed.

Alhaji Adamu Mu` azu, the National Chairman of the PDP, said that the party leadership would continue to do things right and would not condole “cutting corners”.

He also said that the party`s NWC had fixed Oct. 15 as fund raising day for the completion of the party`s 12-floor new National Secretariat at the Central Area, Abuja.

He commended the party`s entire leadership for its contributions in keeping the party together.

The meeting was attending by governors of Akwa Ibom, Abia, Enugu, Niger, Bayelsa, Jigawa, Plateau, Gombe, Kaduna, Delta, Kogi, Benue, Taraba and Cross River states.

Also at the meeting were Adamawa acting governor, Sokoto state deputy governor, former Senate President, Sen. Ken Nnamani; Senate Leader Victor Ndoma Egba, and Sen. Ayogu Eze.

Senator Jubril Walid, Secretary PDP BoT, represented the board at the meeting