President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and all its candidates believe in one indivisible Nigeria, saying the unity of the country was paramount.

He also cautioned politicians who are using religion and ethnicity to divide Nigerians to desist forthwith, stressing that he had no hatred whatsoever towards northerners, contrary to the falsehood being peddled by some politicians in the North.

Speaking at the PDP presidential campaign rally in Sokoto, Jonathan maintained that the PDP government believes in one Nigeria and will continue to deliver the much needed dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

“The unity of the country cannot in any way be compromised and the federal government will continue to frown at all terror groups and their dastardly activities,’’ he said.

The PDP presidential candidate averred that he had no reason to discriminate against the North and blamed some politicians for misleading the people of the North.

“These politicians trying to use religion and ethnicity to divide Nigerians must stop. People are fabricating falsehood that Jonathan is discriminating against the North. I believe in equity and I don’t cheat people, I always ensure that projects are distributed equally across the country.

“They said Jonathan doesn’t like the North but I established 10 universities in the North and four in the South. If I don’t like the North, I cannot build those tertiary institutions or invest hugely in stopping polio in the region.

“I came from a poor background and without education I cannot be president. If I hate the North, I would not have spent hugely on basic education and the Almajiri project. I spent more than 50 per cent of the budget in agriculture in the North because this is where we have the farmlands.

“So, those politicians who are saying that I don’t like the North, ask them how many universities and secondary schools they built in the North? Ask them how many farmers  they empowered?” he queried.

Jonathan decried the attitude of some politicians who are playing politics with security, saying this would not augur well for the country.

He maintained that the Boko Haram insurgency started even before the emergence of late President Umar Musa Yar’adua and wondered why people would insinuate that he was behind the insurgent attacks in the North-east.

“As you are aware, Yusuf was killed when Yar’Adua was alive. We are in a world where terror is the order of the day and instead of people to join hands with government, they are using terrorist attacks to play politics.

“Some even insinuate that I instigated the attacks and these are lies that people tell every day. Nigeria will remain even after 2019 and the unity of this country is paramount,” he said.

He warned politicians in the country to stop politics of intimidation by instigating youths to perpetrate violence, saying such violence was responsible for the collapse of the first republic.

“I plead with politicians that we must not fight ourselves. Such political clash between political parties was responsible for the collapse of the first republic. We cannot begin to take things for granted.

“The idea of intimidation should not be encouraged by our politicians. So, politicians must stop this, we cannot set this country ablaze. We cannot allow this to continue, this is not a military government and we must encourage our youths to behave rationally.

“We are already having challenges in three states in the North-east; we cannot allow the creation of another band of criminals that will turn into terrorists. So, no matter the office a politician is contesting for, we cannot tolerate the attack on campaign offices and killing of innocent people. The federal government will not condone that,” Jonathan stressed.

Jonathan said Nigerians must learn to accommodate each other irrespective of their diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds.

He therefore, pledged to create two million jobs annually, improve education, agriculture and the living conditions of Nigerians, if re-elected.

In his remarks, the Vice-President Namadi Sambo, stated that the federal government, when re-elected, would extend the rail line from Kaura Namoda in Zamfara State to Sokoto and Niger Republic.

Sambo appealed to the people of Sokoto to re-elect Jonathan for him to continue with the good works he has being doing for Nigerians.

The National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Ahmed Mu’azu, described Jonathan as a humble and committed leader who is committed to the socio-economic development of Nigeria.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, said a vote for President Goodluck Jonathan in the poll is a vote for the unity of Nigeria.

‘’Nigerians have tremendous confidence in Jonathan and the PDP-led federal government in spite of the ongoing baseless propaganda by some cynics. Nigeria is now moving along with the current trend in the world in all aspects and the country is no longer lagging behind,’’ he stated.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Goodluck Jonathan/ Namadi Sambo Campaign Organization, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, described Jonathan as a performer that has provided tangible and laudable dividends to Nigerians, hence, he needed to be re-elected by them.

Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido and former Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, expressed optimism that Jonathan would be re-elected by Nigerians.

The PDP governorship candidate, Senator Abdallah Wali, said the PDP would soon begin the political war to liberate the state from the throes of the APC-led government

“I will give priority to moral rejuvenation, peace, unity, security, agriculture and infrastructural development, if elected in the forthcoming general election,” he declared.

  Commenting at the event, the Coordinator of the Goodluck Jonathan / Namadi Sambo Campaign organisation in Sokoto state and Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mukhtari Shagari, said he would not leave the PDP contrary to some rumours making the rounds in the state.

‘’We will vote for Jonathan for him to be re-elected to consolidate his current gains and I have no plan to leave the PDP,’’ he averred.