By Danlami Nmodu
There will be no surprises at the December 6 primaries of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party,PDP as the party has decided to endorse the incumbent ahead of the date. PDP’s decision to adoptPresident Goodluck Jonathan was reached at its National Executive Council ,NEC meeting on Thursday in Abuja.In essence, Jonathan will fly the party’s flag as its presidential candidate in the 2015 elections, if they are held.
Muazu Aliyu, Niger State governor set the ball rolling when he announced that PDP governors have “unanimously without any reservation decided to endorse the sole candidature of President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 election”.
There was no dissenting voice afterwards.Not even Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State who is known to have a presidential ambition raised an objection.He simply concurred .Newsdiaryonline.com learnt that PDP stakeholders have decided to be very pragmatic in handling what they observed as the desperation by the Jonathan cabal to crush or disgrace anyone opposed to his reelection plot.For now, his adoption by the party is expected to give stakeholders a breathing space and those secretly nursing presidential ambition will be left to lick their wounds quietly as the party has excluded them.
Speaking on Thursday too,Senate President David Mark said, “At the PDP Caucus of the National Assembly, we have decided that a sitting and performing president should be given a chance to continue to perform even better.”
Bello Haliru who moved the motion for Jonathan’s adoption noted , “we have never taken a wrong decision before”.
He added ,“We cannot change a winning formula that (has) been working for us since 1999”.
“In PDP we have a tradition of queuing up behind our leaders. President Jonathan has performed creditably well as attested to by all the organs of the party”,he asserted.
Thus he moved:“Therefore , for the good of Nigeria and for the good work that the PDP is doing for the country, I move that the NEC endorse the candidature of President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s candidate in the 2015 election”.
PDP governors had indeed endorsed the president a day before.Reports also said the party’s Board of Trustees led by Mr Fix –it ,Chief Tony Anenih had also adopted the president.
The party had chalked up endorsements from practically all the zones of the country.This has been further enhanced through rallies by the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria,TAN across Nigeria.The rallies reminded most Nigerians of the Youths Earnestly Ask for Abacha campaigns during the military era.The amazing thing about TAN is the fact top ranking officials of government have been identifying openly with the group.The PDP has however issued a “warning” to groups like TAN not to involve officials.
With PDP’s candidate now known, all eyes will be on the main opposition All Progressives Congress ,APC .Who will be Jonathan’s main challenger in the 2015 elections .
Anyway,whether the elections will hold in 2015 is still in doubt,sources said as the insecurity in the north east lingers.
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