President Jonathan
“I have noticed that some people have just started some meetings, it is too early to hold meetings. In a situation whereby a governor has not even stayed for a year, the President has not stayed for a year, and you start harassing people for 2015, it is another way of saying everything is election. “ These were the words of President Goodluck Jonathan today as threatened to sack political appointees who are already jumping the gun , campaigning for political offices ahead 2015 General Election.He said allowing them to remain in office would be a distraction to his administration.
He added ,“There must be time to work, at the federal level if you are holding a political office and I notice that you are involved in meetings for 2015 election I will ask you to leave and go and hold your meetings, because that meeting is too early. Government must not be distracted. Nigerians are interested on what we put on ground for them, not how many elections we conduct and we win.”
Also today,the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) has released the time-table for its congresses beginning with the ward congress on March 3, 2012 and culminating in the national convention on March 24. The party fixed the date for the next regular meeting of its National Executive Committee for February 29, 2012 before the commencement of Ward Congresses.
President Jonathan who spoke at the 58th emergency meeting of the National Executive Council, NEC of the PDP held at its headquarters in Abuja, also pleaded with members of the party who are already holding meetings in respect of 2015 general elections to desist as it sends a wrong message to the people..
The president’s speech also touched on the conduct for the forthcoming congresses and national convention, urging members to insist that people are elected democratically.
“Let us begin to move from the culture of imposition, because if we do, then of course we are sure that primaries or general elections in 2015 will also be democratic”
As part of the resolutions reached at the meeting, the NEC approved time-table for the conduct of its congresses and national convention as follows: Ward Congresses and appeals, Saturday, March 3, 2012 and Monday, March 5, respectively.
The Local Government Area Congresses and appeals were fixed for Saturday March 10 and 12 respectively.
State Congresses and appeals comes up on Saturday, March 17, and Monday, March 19 respectively While the Zonal Congresses and appeals comes up respectively on Wednesday March 21 and Thursday, March 22.
The handing over process for the party’s new executives would begin from March 26 to 31, 2012, after the National Convention on Saturday, March 24.
The NEC equally unanimously approved a slight extention of tenure of the current National Executive Committee to terminate at the end of March 2012 and similarly approved that the tenure of office of Ward, Local Government, States and Zonal Executive Committees terminate in line with the revised timetable for Congresses and National Convention.
The party’s National Working Committee was mandated to constitute National Convention and Congresses Planning Committees to oversee the conduct of Congresses and National Convention.
In attendance at the meeting includes the President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, the Senate President, Senator David Mark, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, numerous State Governors, and other members of NEC.
Abuja however witnessed an unusual traffic snarl popularly called “go slow” today.Movements within the city was like an obstacle race for many as security men positioned at strategic places ensured diversion of traffic away from the normal routes for some hours.For instance at Zone 7 there was heavy hold up as motorist were asked to take a different route directly in front of the popular NAFDAC/FRSC junction.Police vehicles were used to block the normal flow of traffic.Armed Policemen were also seen watching over movements of vehicles.
But the build up to this massive security cordon started on Sunday night as extensive security checks were conducted at some strategic spots in Abuja.One of such spots was directly in front of some telecoms company offices at Wuse 2.It was also noticed that there was heavy security cordon around the headquarters of Nigeria Customs Service in Abuja Sunday night.
Several tales of traffic woes were also recounted in Abuja today.One of the most touching was the account of a food vendor in Zone 3, who said “go-slow did not allow our customers to come here today.That is why we still have food to sell at 4.00pm’’Another vendor said today”I havenever seen this kind of go slow since I have been in Abuja”
Some discerning observers believe the grinding snarl up resulted from as combination of forces such as the security concerns over Boko Haram, the return of fuel queues which worsened the hold up in some areas .Even more, it was also said that the presence of top officials of government from the presidency to the state governors made the security agents to also further tighten security. And so ,it became clear as an official claimed this evening that aside from the usual security concerns over Boko Haram, security operatives chose to virtually slow down movements in Abuja today because of the NEC meeting of the PDP held at the party’s national secretariat. What a day!