President Goodluck Jonathan’s loyalists have begun moves to neutralise the plot by northern governors to stop the President’s alleged 2015 ambition.
The Niger State Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, had in an interview with journalists at the Northern Governors’ Forum’s meeting in Kaduna on May 17 vowed that the North would ensure that it got the presidency in 2015.
investigations however showed that Jonathan’s allies were already working on ways to ensure that the northern governors don’t succeed with their plan.
It was learnt that one of their major strategies was to ensure that the President maintains his stronghold on areas that voted massively for him during the 2011 presidential election.
In the 2011 poll, Jonathan won clearly in the South-West, South-South, South-East and the North-Central. He got at least 25 per cent of votes in many states in the far North (North-East and North-West).
Already, plans are underway to woo these regions by giving them more political appointments in the months ahead.
A top member of the Peoples Democratic Party, who preferred anonymity, said, “As part of moves to shore up support for the PDP and the president ahead of the 2015 poll, the party in the next few months will dwell on the weaknesses of the Action Congress of Nigeria’s governments in the South-West.
“Also, attention will also be given to all federal roads in the zone. We have already started work on Apapa-Oshodi Road.”
Two members of the PDP Board of Trustees Chief Ebenezer Babatope, and Chief Shuaib Oyedokun, said the party would win the 2015 election in the South-West, if Jonathan sought re-election.
Babatope said, “Even though it is too early to start talking about the 2015 election now, I’m of the opinion that if the PDP completes the process of unifying the party in the South-West, the party has chances of winning not only the presidential election but also other elections.
“I’ve no doubt that the PDP will decide what is best electorally within the principles of justice and fair play. I’m sure the President will take his decision about 2015 at the appropriate time.”
It was reliably learnt that the President’s associates were working to improve on the cooperation between the South-East and the South-South during the 2011 poll.
A PDP chieftain who spoke on condition of anonymity said the people of South-East would support Jonathan in 2015.
“The South-East is clamouring for the presidency. But our calculation is that instead of the presidency going to the far North, we will prefer Jonathan to continue.”
It was gathered that as part of efforts to cement the cooperation between the two zones, the South-East/South-South Development Forum would be held in November.
The President of South-East/South-South Professionals, Mr. Emeka Ugwu-Oju, in an interview with our correspondent in Enugu, said, “We came to the conclusion that it is mutually better for both zones to be together than to be apart. It will be easier for the South-South to get some of the things if they were together as Igbos.
“We saw how beneficial it was during Jonathan’s campaign in 2011.The driving force of the unity showed by both zones together with the support of the South-West and Middle Belt helped in getting Jonathan into Aso Rock.”
The President, through his spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, has however distanced himself from the campaign for the 2015 presidential poll, which he described as a distraction.
Punch
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For me I think the best way to justify the death of innocent Nigerians that have deid in the hand of Boko haram is to support GEJ come 2015
ReplyDeleteEmex, shame on you. Vote for Jonathan in 2015 so that more people can die. what has he done to stop the deaths?
ReplyDeletehid ur face.
ReplyDelete