in secret meeting in Ibadan
AS 2013 ends on a sour note for the ruling People's
Democratic Party (PDP), President Goodluck Jonathan has
taken full charge of the party's battle plans for 2014 both for
governorship polls and the primaries holding in the New
Year.
Already, Jonathan has met Senator Iyiola Omisore and
former governor Ayodele Fayose over Osun and Ekiti
governorship elections holding in the third quarter of 2014.
This is against the backdrop of a new command structure
already created to allow the president take charge of
preparation for the primaries for the 2015 polls, which the
electoral commission has announced will take place either in
January or February of 2015.
INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, recently announced
that the 2015 general elections would hold between January
and February, indicating that party primaries would hold in
2014.
Although INEC has not announced a definite date for the
Osun and Ekiti governorship polls, it was reliably gathered
that the two polls would hold between June and August 2014.
The elections in both states, according to analysts, are being
seen by the Presidency as a test case for the PDP to cut the
opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to size.
"The Ekiti and Osun governorship elections are a litmus test
for both sides in the battle for the soul of Nigeria. You know
the APC's major foothold is the South-West. So, whatever
happens in these elections will either weaken or strengthen
either side. That is why the president is not leaving anything
to chance. The die is cast. You just wait and see how events
unfold," PDP leader told Saturday Tribune on Friday.
Saturday Tribune findings showed that the presidency regards
2014 as a critical year, especially as the party is expected to
pick all its standard-bearers for the next general elections in
the new year. Primaries to be held in the new year include
state and national assemblies as well as governorship and
presidential.
According to findings, the resolution of the wrangling
between the governors and the party leadership was the first
step to a new offensive the party is planning for 2014. Under
presidential watch, it was gathered that the PDP is to launch
an expanded offensive to gain lost grounds and put the party
in good stead ahead of the 2015 polls.
A party chief contacted on this development confirmed the
direct involvement of the president in the new offensive,
explaining that "2014 is a pre- election year that is unique for
many reasons. The president, even when he has not
announced he is contesting, is rightly taking charge.
"All presidents during election years must take charge. So,
there is nothing unusual. We in the party welcome this new
tone. It will energise the party and rally our support base,"
the official, a member of the working committee, noted.
As part of the offensive, it was learnt that the party, which
has been cash-strapped for some time now, is to be properly
funded while each sector of the party is expected to organise
mass mobilisation events in the new year. Already, the party
has scheduled a national summit of its youth and women
leaders at all levels for the new year.
Further checks showed that the president had increased the
tempo of his direct consultation and interaction with critical
stakeholders, both for the 2015 general elections and the
governorship elections holding in Osun and Ekiti states.
Insider sources revealed that the outcome of the ongoing
consultations would determine the final decision of the
president on his candidature for the 2015 presidency.
Saturday Tribune further gathered that the president had
asked the Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony
Anenih, to help coordinate the party's strategy to win the
coming governorship polls in the two South West states.
In what many see as a response to criticism of his not being
supportive of the party, the president is said to have assessed
the electoral situations in both Osun and Ekiti states and has
given tacit support to both Omisore and Fayose. This has led
to controversies in both states over report of presidential
adoption.
It was, however, learnt that the president indeed has preferred
aspirants due to what a source called "the concept of
undiluted loyalty to the presidency."
Saturday Tribune reliably gathered that Senator Omisore,
indeed, had a closed door meeting with the president recently
in Abuja. Both men again met during the visit of the
Afenifere to the president recently in Abuja.
It was after the meeting with the president that Senator
Omisore announced February 8 for the declaration of his
governorship ambition, an event to be witnessed by Vice
President Namadi Sambo and the Chairman of the PDP
Governor's Forum, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa
Ibom State.
A similar meeting was said to have been held between the
president and Fayose in Abuja a week ago. Those privy to
the meeting disclosed that Jonathan reviewed the state of the
party in Ekiti with the former governor and charged him to
continue his mobilisation to ensure victory for the PDP in the
governorship polls.
A check in Abuja, however, affirmed that both the party
leadership and the presidency are not foreclosing holding of
primaries to select the party's governorship standard-bearers.
A party source noted that the primaries would hold either in
March or April in both Ekiti and Osun states.
"We will hold primaries in Osun and Ekiti, but you know,
getting the president to back you means a lot because it
grants you what I call state support," the source said.
Group in secret meeting in Ibadan
Meanwhile, Some leaders of the PDP on Thursday evening
converged on Ibadan, Oyo State, for a meeting held behind
closed doors, with a source declaring that the move was to
launch a group to salvage the party in the zone.
The leaders, comprising former Minister of Defence,
Adetokunbo Kayode; former Nigerian High Commissioner to
Ghana, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro; Deputy Senate Whip,
Senator Hosea Agboola; PDP governorship candidate in
Ondo State and former National Legal Adviser of the party,
Olusola Oke and a governorship aspirant of the party in Osun
State, Hon. Oluwole Oke, among others, were at the A 3
Hotels, Ibadan, for the meeting which lasted for hours.
Though Senator Agboola declined to comment on the issues
discussed at the meeting, another party leader at the parley,
who pleaded not to be named when contacted, simply sent a
text message to Saturday Tribune that the meeting had to do
with a new move to save the party in the South West.
The senator also declined to react when asked if the meeting
had anything to do with the fortune of the party in the zone.
Culled from Tribune
No comments:
Post a Comment