2015: The up-welling pressure on Jonathan

THERE is a groundswell of pressure on President Goodluck Jonathan to declare his intention to seek re-election in 2015. By Clifford Ndujihe & Henry Umoru APart from a motley crowd of over 7000 support groups, the pressure is also being mounted by governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), leaders of the ruling party across the six geo-political zones of the country and leaders of some opposition parties. Notable persons who want the president to seek re-election and to declare so without further delay include former National Chairman of the PDP, Dr Ahmadu Ali; Akwa Ibom State Governor and Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, Godswill Akpabio; former Anambra State Governor, Mr Peter Obi; former Information Minister, Professor Jerry Gana; and former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu among others, who are traversing the length and breadth of the country making a case for Jonathan’s return. A host of these people have attended the zonal rallies of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) held in the South-South, South-West and North-Central, etc. PDP1Eight million signatures The rallies, according to the organisers are meant to get the views of Nigerians on whether or not they want the president to continue in office beyond 2015. On this score, the organisers claim that they have collected about eight million signatures of people, who want President Jonathan re-elected. Following the pressure, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, promised the over 7,000 support groups calling on the president to declare and the PDP to nominate him as its candidate that Jonathan would not disappoint them. He said President Jonathan would weigh their demands in the overall interest of the country and since Nigerians were genuinely asking him to re- contest, he would not let them them. Speaking on Tuesday at the National Summit of Goodluck Jonathan Support Groups organised by the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Professor Rufai Ahmed, Senator Anyim promised to tell Jonathan that Nigerians were genuinely calling on him to continue, noting that participants paid their ways to Abuja and defiled the rains to plead with the President to continue. The SGF , who was the special guest of honour and stood in for President Jonathan at the event that took place at the Eagle Square, amid heavy downpour said, “I will tell Mr. President that Nigerians are genuinely determined to go with him in 2015. The desire of Jonathan to continue is no longer a matter of PDP but for all Nigerians.” Massive crowd Saying that he was seeing such a massive crowd for the first time, Anyim added: “Even the rain cannot stop us; men cannot stop us; women cannot stop us. I’m particularly excited today because I’ve never seen a gathering like this. Nigerians have defied the rain. From the morning, nobody has left, nobody has asked for food or water. What they are asking for has been Goodluck Jonathan.” Members of the National Working Committee, NWC of the PDP in line with their position that the support groups should count them out, were absent at the summit. Meanwhile, over 7000 groups defiled the heavy rains in Abuja which started at 12.35 when the Special Adviser to the President, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali was reading his welcome address and asked that the President must declare for 2015 election and endorsed his candidature. The group, at the end of its first summit, said they had reviewed the performance of President Jonathan and resolved that he has performed well, and on that note, there must be continuity of governance. The resolution, which was signed by leaders, patrons and directors of Goodluck Support Group (GSG) was read by Alkali and presented to Anyim at 2.59 pm for onward presentation to the president. It read: “We, the leaders, patrons and sponsors of over 7, 000 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and support groups that make up of the Goodluck Support Group, after a careful review of the performance of President Jonathan and the current development condition of our country hereby resolve as follows: That President Jonathan has performed very well; that it is in the interest of Nigeria and all Nigerians that his Transformation Agenda should continue beyond 2015; that President Jonathan should step forward and contest for 2015 presidential election; that the PDP should nominate Dr. Jonathan as its Presidential candidate for 2015 Presidential Election; That as Leaders and Representatives of the over 7,000 organizations with over 80 million membership, do hereby affirm our loyalty and unqualified support for President Goodluck Jonathan and undertake to deliver him.’’ Speaker after speaker at the event where former National Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Senator Rufai Hanga, defected to the PDP, showered encomiums on President Jonathan and urged him to contest. Jonathan deserves a return journey- Ahmadu Ali Chairman of the Summit and former National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, who noted that the president has achieved a lot in all the sectors, urged the President to re- contest, adding that the security challenge would soon be a thing of the past. Jonathan is hero of democracy – Jerry Gana Former Minster of Information, Professor Jerry Gana who described President Jonathan as the hero of democracy, defender of social justice, activator of the railway; driver of the transformation agenda, mobilizer of goodwill, advocate of human governance and the energiser of the private sector, stressed that it has become imperative for Nigerians to support Jonathan for 2015 because of his achievements. The People have spoken, Jonathan should speak without further delay – Mantu former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu who noted that the voice of men is the voice of God, urged President Jonathan to declare now without further delay since the people have spoken. Nigerians must shun tribalism, sectionalism and re-elect Jonathan – Akpabio Governor Akpabio, who spoke for the PDP governors urged Nigerians to shun tribalism and sectionalism and bring unity back into the country. He said that Nigerians should re- elect Jonathan in 2015, adding that he believes the vision of the support groups for Nigeria. According to him, they have brought solution to the nation’s challenges which will bring succour to the people of the country, stressing that for the transformation agenda of the president to be complete, Jonathan must be allowed to continue. Akpabio commended the President for all infrastructural projects in the country, making petroleum products available, unfurling agricultural revolution and making Nigeria the biggest economy in Africa. No vacancy in Aso Rock –Haruna Minister of Youth Development, Boni Haruna who spoke for the Ministers said that with the crowd, it is obvious that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock. Patrick Azadu who spoke on behalf of members of the House of Representatives, the PDP Caucus and other supporting parties including the Accord, APGA and LP, said some other members were dumping the APC because of Jonathan, adding that the President has sold himself to Nigerians and that God has sanctioned Jonathan to continue in 2015 and no power orgroup can stop it. He added that “since God has sanctioned his continuation, anyone dissenting is doing so on its own.” - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/09/2015-welling-pressure-jonathan/#sthash.afF9VQ0g.dpuf