President Goodluck Jonathan is set to declare his intention to seek re-election during the 2015 presidential election. The poll has been fixed for February 14 next year by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Following the release of the election timetable by INEC on Friday, the Presidency on Saturday said Jonathan would make public his decision on the 2015 presidential election soon.
President Jonathan has so far resisted pressure to declare his intention regarding 2015. On different occasions, he said he would only make his decision known this year.
Last Thursday, while speaking on the sidelines of the just-concluded World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jonathan said he was awaiting INEC’s green light.
He said, “I am not going to talk about whether I am standing for election or not because it is not in line with our laws. INEC has a time frame within which candidates are expected to declare. If you declare before that time, you are actually contravening the Nigerian laws. So, I won’t tell anybody that I am contesting or that I’m not contesting.”
The 2015 ambition of the President has become controversial with loyalists and opponents of Jonathan heating the polity with their statements.
While some prominent South-South leaders have threatened that they will make the country ungovernable if the President is not given a second term, northern elders have claimed that the President signed a one-term agreement and must honour it; a claim the Presidency has refuted many times.
Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Mr. Ahmed Gulak, confirmed to newsmen on Saturday that with the release of the election timetable by INEC, the coast was clear for Jonathan to declare.
Gulak said out of the six geo-political zones in the country, Jonathan had completed consultations in four –South-South, South-East, South-West and North-West – with stakeholders in the zones asking him to seek re-election.
Gulak said, “You will recall that the President’s position has remained that he will make his position on the next election known this year. Now that INEC has released timetable for the election, the President will make his position known very soon upon completion of ongoing consultations.
“I can confirm to you that consultation has been completed in South-South, South-East, South -West and North-West with stakeholders in the four zones asking the President to re-contest in 2015.”
However, Gulak did not say when Jonathan made the consultations or how.
When contacted on Saturday, INEC reaffirmed that with the release of the election timetable, aspirants for the 2015 general elections were free to declare their intentions to contest.
The commission’s Director (Media Affairs), Mr. Nick Dazang, told newsmen that aspirants could declare their ambition but could not campaign before November 16.
Dazang said, “Aspirants can declare their ambitions and nobody is against that; but by law, they are not supposed to campaign, until 90 days to the election; that is from November 16.
“I mean 90 days to the election is when campaign is supposed to begin. After that, the political parties can begin to conduct primaries and in the course of the primaries, candidates that will contest the election will emerge.”
Meanwhile, one of our correspondents learnt on Saturday that the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party would meet soon to review the election timetable.
A member of the committee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the committee would meet in order to debate the timetable, fees for nomination forms and dates for all the events, including the primary elections.
He said, “We will meet soon to discuss the timetable. We will look at it and take decisions, like how much we will charge for the primaries and the dates.”
Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, has described the release of the timetable as a welcome development.
He said, “The INEC timetable is part of democratic process, PDP is a law-abiding party; we are guided by the procedure for electoral processes. We will participate fully in the entire process, our job is to sensitise the various organs of our party to mobilise and rally for the election.
“We are not unmindful of the machinations of the opposition, who have become undemocratic in their actions and activities. We heard that they would instruct their members in the National Assembly not to participate in the electoral process. Let me put it unequivocally that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria, with or without the All Progressives Congress.”
The Interim National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Lai Mohammed, has said that his party will soon meet to take a decision on the timetable.
Mohammed said, “There are so many angles to it. INEC has just released its timetable, the party will have to meet first, and we can’t rush to make a statement now without meeting. We will look at the timetable and work towards it.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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D die is cast 4 u 2 b disgrace out of office by our vote. Most corrupt president in our history...Davies
ReplyDeleteCorruption is set 2 declare again. Who wil vote u, except stella Oduah 255m, NNPC missing 8trillion, missing sure-P 500Bn , petroleum Minister 2.5B annual flight cost etcc. We must vote u out
ReplyDeleteWe re. happy & set to vote out corruption nxt year
ReplyDeleteDo we still need kindergatin president?......NOOooo
ReplyDeleteDO we need clueless president?.....NOOoo
Do we need Corrupt president (8trillion Missin)....NOOooo
Do we need stella Oduah & Dazien Madueke associate as president...NOOoo
Opinion poll: Nigerians have spoken
Pls people shd advice my GEJ to jettison his 2015 ambtion as dis may not be realistic wit opposition of d 3 most populated states Kano,lagos & Rivers re APC, except riggin whch is an invicitation 2 war as predicted
ReplyDeletePls advice GEJ to resist d temptation to seek re-election to avoid d repeat of ivory coast crisis in Nig. GEJ like lauren gbagbor wil definately face ICC if he intend rigging d election using power of incumbency
ReplyDeletePls people shd advice my GEJ to jettison his 2015 ambtion as dis may not be realistic wit opposition of d 3 most populated states Kano,lagos & Rivers re APC, except riggin whch is an invicitation 2 war as predicted
ReplyDeleteDo we still need kindergatin president?......NOOooo
ReplyDeleteDO we need clueless president?.....NOOoo
Do we need Corrupt president (8trillion Missin)....NOOooo
Do we need stella Oduah & Dazien Madueke associate as president...NOOoo
Opinion poll: Nigerians have spoken
We re. happy & set to vote out corruption nxt year
ReplyDeleteCorruption is set 2 declare again. Who wil vote u, except stella Oduah 255m, NNPC missing 8trillion, missing sure-P 500Bn , petroleum Minister 2.5B annual flight cost etcc. We must vote u out
ReplyDeleteD die is cast 4 u 2 b disgrace out of office by our vote. Most corrupt president in our history...Davies
ReplyDeleteBros, whether U declare or not, it doesn't affect me. Wether U or any else will contest is not my business. Since, I provide my own SECURITY, ELECTRICITY, WATER, pay high school fees, high house rent, repair my street road, what do I need a PRESIDENT for?
ReplyDeleteOnly CIVIL WAR will repair this country. Many will DIE, many will RUN away, so the remaining survivors will rebuild and change the country there after.
U fools dnt hv wat to say. U guys are jst making barren noise. If not GEJ den who. Be wise my frnd
ReplyDeleteThank God am not anonymous, they are faceless human beings. So they are not human beings that will vote. For me is either GBJ for 2015 or no one else. If you are not comfortable with it you can kiss the *TRANSFORMER*
ReplyDeleteYesssss oooooOo GEJ for 2015. Ready to vote for him
ReplyDeleteThank God am not anonymous, they are faceless human beings. So they are not human beings that will vote. For me is either GBJ for 2015 or no one else. If you are not comfortable with it you can kiss the *TRANSFORMER*
ReplyDeleteYou have all spoken well & good. But insulting GEJ is the most dangerous thing. You have known or unknowingly placed a curse upon your head. If the President decide to contest there is nothing anyone can do about it. You either vote for or agianst him period. Please let us have some regards, respect and honour for our President. That office takes the grace,mercy, power and fear of God to standout, let's pray for our President always against wicked & unreasonable.
ReplyDeleteyou people are very stupid, Jonathan is the best President in Nigeria ,, fools. you can see the corrupt president in Nigeria ,who is batter than him here, fools,Yakubu Gowon, Murtal Muhammed, Olusegun Obasanjo,Shehu Shagari, Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida. Ernest Shoneko Sani Abacha. Abdulsalam Abubakar,
ReplyDeleteJonathan is the best president we have, we have good road in east now. No scarcity of fuel in Nigeria now, he is the best, compel Jonathan with those thieves president we also have in the past, Yakubu Gowon, Murtal Muhammed, Olusegun Obasanjo,Shehu Shagari, Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida. Ernest Shoneko Sani Abacha. you see thieves in Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what you people we do or run to when GEJ win 2015 election u just sitdown somwhere beging to say rubish some of you nobody no may be u exist either is corrup is kidagarting his name is already among ur rulers pray for your own good thing to come
ReplyDeleteOnly if he could do something about corruption and reduce d size of his cabinet ( d only govt dat have minister of state FCT), and. Stop his wife frm making rivers state ungovernable then I will be ready to vote for him. Even if we don't like d president pls let us not call him all soughts of derogatory names. If I were to chose a president for 2015 it will fashola and rochas (without any ethic or political sentiments just based on their grand achievements in their states. Abeg mek una no course me e e e its just a tot. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who dnt lik GEJ to contest,let hm go nd hug a transformer. Who do u guyz hv in mind?
ReplyDeletegood talk,
ReplyDeleteAll this noise is bcos a Northerner is not dere as the president,Nigeria have been blindfolded since they got independent because,Northerners have been the people ruling this country,both the once that has Gun and the once that was putting "Agwada"......Nigeria,China and India were tipped by the Westerners as the 3 developing countries that will go far in development b4 the the year 2000. Luk out Nigeria,then luk out China and India and see the gap.......The reason why Nigeria is backward in development is just bcos of the Northerners that have been ruling this country often and on without having any positive thin to impact....Luckily, President GEJ emerged as the president of this country and the Northerners openly and verbally promised his government to be Ungovernable just bcos GEJ is not from North,of which they did by unveiling Boko Haram.....Mr.President hav not gotten rest of mind since he won election as the president of this country and has achieved a little despite the promise of making his government Ungovernable.........Had it been GEJ was allowed all dis while without the promise of making his government Ungovernable,Nigeria would hav been a better place for all of us and i believed,He would hav achieved more....What do you expect from someone with divided attention about Boko Haram and the so called Northerners ? Nigeria is for all of us and not for a particular set of people that calls themselves "Born to rule" .
ReplyDeleteGEJ MUST AND WILL CONTEST AND WIN COME 2015, I HAVE ALREADY BOUGHT MY CAMPAIGN CAR, AND MY TOOLS FR CAMPAIGN ARE READY SO, CONTACT ME IF U WANT TO JOIN THE TRAIN AND CAMPAIGN FOR GEJ2015 ( dkmconsult101@yahoo.com )
ReplyDeleteMost of the commentators on Nigeria Eye are biased idiots. How can you guys be throwing tantrums at our dear president. Is it when APC produces a president (which will never happen in Jesus name), that you guys will agree and begin to respect the president. Anyway, an advice to fools, ignoramuses and Norther cows and some of their apologist from the South West, is just a waste of time. Remember, GEJ did not just emerge as the president, God put him there and the same God will make sure that all of you guys that have tried to make his administration difficult, thereby calling him clueless and kindergaten etc (English language). You guys should manufacture more names, God will elevate him and shame you fools.
ReplyDeleteI voted him before, and i will still vote for him in 2015
ReplyDeleteGEJ all the way!!!
ReplyDeleteRid on my President God said you are carring out His agenda so go on nothing mega God will sustain you. Who does APC has Is. It Buhari or who ? There is nobody in APC and there will never be any one. they can borrow from PDP .if they want but mind you time is running out. If I were APC I will not waste my time just allow GEJ to finish what God want him to do.
ReplyDelete