2015: PDP NEC, BoT Endorse Jonathan …Set Dates For Presidential, Guber Primaries

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) National Executive Committee (NEC), of the party has taken a decision to adopt President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole candidate for the 2015 election.
The decision of NEC follows that of the PDP Governors’ Forum and the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT). The two organs had earlier endorsed the president on Wednesday.
The decision means no candidate, except Jonathan, can seek to contest the 2015 presidential election on the platform of the PDP.
At yesterday’s meeting, the Governor of Niger State, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, who was first to speak, told the meeting that all PDP governors had in their meeting on Wednesday “unanimously, without any reservation, decided to endorse the sole candidature of President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 election”.
Aliyu also called on the Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, to stand up and recognise the decision of the governors.
Lamido stood up and nodded his head in agreement with his Niger State colleague.
Lamido had earlier rejected the adoption of Jonathan by the North West PDP, as he is reported to be nursing a presidential ambition.
But the decision of the governors, the party’s BoT and the entire party appears to have foreclosed the Jigawa State governor’s ambition.
A spokesperson of the BoT, Shuaibu Oyedokun, also informed the NEC that the board, regarded as the conscience of the party, had unanimously adopted Jonathan as the PDP’s sole candidate.
In a brief remark, Senate President, David Mark, informed the gathering that if there is any arm of government that is interested in continuity, it is the legislature.
“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 betterý,” Mark said.
The motion for the adoption of Jonathan was moved by the former national chairman of the party, Bello Haliru.
In his speech, Haliru said the PDP had an important decision to take, arguing that “we have never taken a wrong decision before.
“We cannot change a winning formula that has been working for us since 1999,” he said.
“In PDP, we have a tradition of queuing up behind our leaders. President Jonathan has performed creditably wellý as attested to by all the organs of the party.
“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,” Haliru said.
The motion was seconded by a former governor of old Anambra State, Jim Nwobodo.
Thereafter, the National Chairman of the party, Adamu Mu’azu, put the question to members who unanimously agreed that Jonathan be retained as the sole candidate of the party for the 2015 election.
In his response, President Goodluck Jonathan who accepted the endorsement as the sole candidate by all the organs of the party which culminated in that of NEC, said that he was really humbled, overwhelmed and promised not to disappoint the PDP governors, the leaders, stakeholders and members of the party.
He said, “Let me really say that the events of yesterday, starting with BoT meeting last night and what has just happened today, with the various motions adopting me as sole candidate of the party has really humbled me.
“Let me specially thank our governors that initiated that action, let me thank members of BoT, let me thank the Senate President and members of the National Assembly, let me appreciate the PDP women for their position and the NEC, because no matter whatever anybody does, if NEC, you will be on your own.
“Adopting me as the sole candidate of the party has humbled me; I am totally overwhelmed. When the governors came up in a jointly signed paper, though House of Representatives started it, governors’ intervention was like an atomic bomb, I commend all departments of the NEC.
“I am so overwhelmed that I lack words to express myself. I leave it for another day. For today, for you to have that kind of confidence, I am extremely challenged. It means that whatever we had done in the past three years, we triple it. That is the only way Nigerians will appreciate it. I promise I will not disappoint you.”
Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party is to emerge on December 6, though it is expected to be a formality as delegates will simply be ratifying President Goodluck Jonathan.
Also, the party has fixed October 29 for the conduct of its governorship primaries in the country.
This decision was taken after the meeting the leadership of the party had with the President and some governors of the party, which was held at the presidential villa in Abuja on Tuesday night.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, also confirmed the dates in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said that the primaries for the National Assembly would hold on November 22, adding that those dates were already ratified by the members of the party’s National Working Committee, which met in Abuja on Wednesday.

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