•     Party governors endorse Jonathan as sole candidate for 2015 election

By Chuks Okocha

After consultations with President Goodluck Jonathan and the governors elected on the platform of the party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday fixed November 29 and December 6 for its governorship and presidential primaries respectively ahead of the 2015 general election.

This came as the governors yesterday ended their meeting with a resolution to endorse President Jonathan as the sole candidate of the party in the presidential primary election slated for December 6.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisa Metuh, disclosed to journalists in Abuja.
Metuh said the dates would merely be ratified in today’s meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC).

The party spokesman also said the primaries for the National Assembly, would hold on November 22, adding that the dates were being proposed by the party`s National Working Committee (NWC).

According to him, the dates were proposal that are subject to the approval of the party`s NEC which is scheduled to meet on September 18.

“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,’’ he said.

A source at the party national headquarters, meanwhile, said the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms for various elective offices, would be between October 27 and 28.

This, according to the source, is  to enable public office holders who want to resign their appointments to contest elective positions to do so before October 20.
Meanwhile, the PDP governors endorsed Jonathan as the sole candidate of the party in the presidential primary election slated for December 6.

Though the Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, who is nursing a presidential ambition was absent at the meeting that took place at the Akwa Ibom State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, he was represented by his deputy.
All the PDP governors were present at the meeting, except the governors of Bauchi and Ebonyi States.

Reading the communiqué of the meeting, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, said  the PDP governors unanimously agreed to endorse President Jonathan as the sole candidate for the party’s presidential primary election.

By implication, the December 6 presidential primary election would turn out to be an affirmation presidential primary election.

As a result, the PDP governors therefore called on all members of the party to support their decision to support President Jonathan as the sole presidential contender and the party’s ticket holder for the 2015 presidential election slated for February 2015.

The PDP governors also commended the armed forces in the management and prosecution of the war against insurgency in the country and called on the international community to support and cooperate with the federal government in its efforts to stamp out terrorism in Nigeria.

The governors further commended the efforts of the federal government in stamping out the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease in the country and Nigerians for standing and rallying behind President Jonathan to see that Nigeria is Ebola-free.

The forum also commended the decision of the PDP governorship candidate in Osun State Iyiola Omisore, in challenging the outcome of the election at the tribunal, while also commending the acting governor of Adamawa State, Umar Fintiri, for emerging the governorship candidate of PDP in the October 11 governorship election, as it also wished him success in the coming election,

The governors at the meeting included 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).

After the meeting, the governors went to the Presidential Villa to inform the president of their decision and to attend the meeting of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party.

In another development, Jonathan yesterday said he would be on the lookout for the return of the South-west zone to the centre of political activities in Nigeria come 2015.
The president made this known as he urged the political leadership in the country to close ranks and then work together for the actualisation of efforts to return the zone to the epic Centre of politics, while shedding the toga of opposition by 2015.

He made this known when some South-west leaders on aegis of PDP Turn Around Team South-west (Egbe Iyipada Yoruba), led by Chief Olabode George, visited him at the presidential villa recently to brief him on the outcome of their meeting which was held a week ago at the Obafemi Awolowo Hall, Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja.

George had told the president that the South-west PDP was determined to win all the states in the zone in 2015 for the purpose of returning to the centre, and had set machinery in motion to that effect.

While presenting a copy of the communiqué at the meeting to President Jonathan, the former deputy chairman, PDP South-west, informed Jonathan that the PDP in the zone had collectively asked him to declare his intention to run in the 2015 presidential election.

He equally intimated the president about plans by members of the PDP Turn Around Team to convene a Yoruba Leaders of Thought Summit at Oduduwa Hall, Ile-Ife, as well as a musical jamboree in Lagos as part of efforts aimed at drumming support for his plan to re-contest the presidential election in 2015.

The South-west leaders, he revealed, were in the process of reconciling the PDP members with the aim of working as a united body for the task of winning all elections in the zone by 2015.

A highly elated president thanked the group while congratulating the George-led South-west PDP leaders on their initiatives so far.
He assured members of the group  of support in their efforts to win the zone for the party in 2015.

The president stressed the need for the South-west leaders to work hard on their plan to return the region to the main stream of politics in 2015, as he noted the importance of the Yoruba nation in the socio-political and economic wellbeing of Nigeria.

He said the return of the zone to the centre would in no small measure ensure that the zone enjoy more dividends of democracy by 2015

At the meeting with the president were Vice-President Namadi Sambo, PDP National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu; PDP  Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih; Senate President, Senator David Mark, Deputy Chairman of PDP, Chief Uche Secondus, among others.

South leaders at the meeting were George, Jimoh Ibrahim, Jide Adeniji, Senator Iyiola Omisore, Chief Shuaibu Oyedokun, Alhaji Saka Balogun, Chief Adesiyan Jeilili, Dr Eddy Olafeso, Capt Caleb Olubolade, Adetokunbo Kayode, Gbenga Daniel, and others.


Source: ThisDay