President Goodluck Jonathan has hit the ground running in the run up to the 2011 presidential elections. After defeating Atiku  Abubakar at the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP primaries  the president set out to reconcile with   all  his opponents in the party .Despite the victory, he is not carrying on with any air of triumphalism,  an insider said.

Rather ,there has been a deliberate, calculated move toward inclusiveness and consolidation. He is guided by humility,reconciliation and the need for  consolidation in order to strengthen the foundation for the task ahead.Newsdiaryonline.com learnt that shortly after the primaries, the president reached out to former President Ibrahim Babangida and former National Security Adviser General Mohammed Aliyu Gusau.It was no surprise to insiders  that the two key players in the opposition to Jonathan have congratulated  him on his victory.

The trio of IBB, Gusau and Abubakar met  a few days after the primaries and reviewed the  events .In what appears like a new found softening of their  hitherto hardline position on zoning, sources  revealed the  pro-zoning, seemingly rabidly anti Jonathan G3 members resolved not to go to court.

Even this resolution is seen as a significant milestone  as many had thought that given the alleged flaws before and during the PDP primaries, the pro zoning forces would have been tempted to  rush towards stopping  Jonathan in court. But it is eveident that a  new thinking  has crept into the scene and the stakeholders in the party are being very pragmatic now. Insiders believe the  new resolve by the chieftains  of   zoning, may in fact be early  indications of the  effectiveness of President Jonathan’s  reconciliatory moves  within the party aimed to carrying  everyone along  with an eye on the bigger task ahead.

Newsdiaryonlin.com  learnt that as part of the reconciliation moves, President Jonathan will meet with the former Vice President Abubakar at a time convenient for the two of them. Abubakar has flown out of the country. According  to an official statement from his media office , he is off to Europe but Newsdiaryonline.com learnt that his final destination may be Dubai.

``I think after a very  tedious  campaign like this last one, the man deserves a rest. That is why he might have travelled ‘’ ,said a source close to Jonathan. But the source insisted that the president’s attempts to reach out to  Abubakar is on-going. This may dispel fears in some circles that Abubakar’s trip   overseas may  be an indication of  a collapse of the talks with Jonathan’s men. It was learnt that the talks are very much alive. Even before the former vice president travelled out of the country, aides of the president had  reached out to  him .It is hoped  that that this will be crowned by a meeting between the two  key contestants at the last primaries.

Insiders said henceforth, President Jonathan’s campaign will be based on issues.There will be no mudslinging nor any negative attacks on people. His campaign will  be anchored on how to build Nigerian and transform it towards greater heights.

It was this vision that informed Jonathan’s reaction to Abubakar at the Eagle Square ahead of the voting by the party’s delegates. Despite the trenchant attacks by the former vice president, Jonathan responded by saying he would not join issues.This is the kind of  focus laced with humility  the president intends to maintain in what promises to be a methodical  the battle ahead, an Aso Rock Insider told newsdiaryonline.com

He knows that he has to consolidate towards victory and the president is determined to provide the needed leadership now.

Comments

Chukwuemeka Okeke :As far as am concerned, the development is no any surprise because the North, when it comes to politics knows how best to play it. But for a quick reminder and of course posterity, there is an Igbo adage that says "the problem does not lie much with giving a monkey some water to drink with a cup, but to retrieve the same cup from the monkey afterward is where the real problem lies" This saying for the wise and so therefore, I shall not bother to point out the obvious until that very time when it shall speak for itself. A stroke of cane is sufficient for the wise. Also a stitch in time saves nine. God bless Nigeria and Nigerians.