Why PDP governors endorsed Jonathan for 2015

President Jonathan

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors yesterday endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan as their sole candidate for the 2015 presidential election.

The governors took the decision after their meeting at the Akwa Ibom State Governor’s Lodge, Abuja.

Before the meeting, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, had announced that the party had fixed November 29 and December 6 as dates for the party’s governorship and presidential primaries, respectively.

The Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, who is also the Governor of Akwa Ibom State,   Godswill Akpabio, told journalists after the meeting that decision to make Jonathan   their sole candidate   was not challenged by any of the governors that attended the meeting.

The governors in attendance were those of Cross River, Niger, Kogi, Kaduna, Taraba (Acting) Gombe, Abia, Delta, Adamawa (Acting), Bayelsa, Plateau, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Benue, Jigawa (Deputy), Katsina (Deputy), Sokoto (Deputy), Kebbi (Deputy).

The Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, who is believed to be nursing presidential ambition, was absent.

It was however not clear if his deputy, who was in attendance, disapproved of the decision of the governors.

The decision of the governors is expected to be debated at the National Executive   Committee meeting of the party, which holds in Abuja on Thursday (today).

Akpabio said, “The forum hereby endorses President Jonathan for a second term in office and resolved to support his bid for re-election come 2005.

“The forum urges all PDP faithful to support this gesture which should enable the President to become the sole presidential candidate of the PDP come 2015.”

The forum, according to him,   also discussed the outcome of the governorship election in Osun State, which was won by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola.

He said the governors were in support of the candidate of the PDP, Sen. Iyiola Omisore, to challenge the outcome of the election in court.

He added that the governors supported the result of the party’s primary in Adamawa State and called on the people of the state to support the Acting Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri,   for the October 11 election in the state.

Also in Abuja, Metuh, who briefed journalists on the meeting the PDP leadership had with Jonathan on Tuesday night,   said the primaries for the National Assembly would hold on November 22.

He explained that the dates for the presidential, governorship and National Assembly primaries     were ratified by the members of the PDP National Working Committee   in Abuja on Wednesday.

Metuh , however, said the dates were a mere proposal that   was subject to approval by the NEC.

He said, ‘‘We expect all public servants, government appointees and elected party officials who are interested in contesting any position to   resign their appointments seven days before the commencement of the ward congress election.”

It was learnt that sales of nomination and expression of interest forms for various elective offices, would be between October 27 and 28.

This, according to a source at the national headquarters of the party, was to enable public office holders who want to resign their appointments to contest elective positions to do so before October 20.

Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, had told State House correspondents at the end of the PDP governors meeting with Jonathan   that the party’s election guidelines for   general elections dominated their discussions

He said, “Most of the discussions   centred on the 2015 elections, that is, preparations of the party for the 2015 elections. There were presentations by the NWC . You know we will have our NEC meeting on Thursday(today) and the guidelines for the party were discussed.

“But most of the decisions will be taken at the NEC meeting . What we did here was to brainstorm on certain issues that will be presented at the NEC meeting. So, it is on Thursday(today) that a lot of the decisions that will guide us for the 2015 elections will be taken.”

Meanwhile, a prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has called for the adaptation of Jonathan as the sole candidate of the PDP for the presidential election.

Clark said this was necessary since the President had signified his intention to run, adding that “this is the practice in the United States of America whose democracy we are practising.”

Clark, who spoke with one of our correspondents in Abuja, said Jonathan deserved the ticket, having worked for the country since he assumed office following the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Though the President has yet to openly declare his intention to run, some groups, including his ministers, have openly adopted him as their candidate.

The Presidency is also believed to be behind some of the groups, which are being coordinated by the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Prof. Rufai Alkali.