President Goodluck Jonathan may lose the support of the South East geo-political zone in 2015 presidential election, Daily Sun can authoritatively reveal.
Indications emerged at the weekend, that stakeholders led by state governors in the zone were set to withdraw their support for Jonathan if he failed to call some erring officers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to order.
It was gathered that many stakeholders and power brokers from the zone were not comfortable with the shoddy handling of the delegates congresses by the leadership of the PDP led by Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu and were already toying with a ‘Plan B’ for the presidential race if Jonathan allows the situation to continue.
A top member of the PDP told Daily Sun on condition of anonymity that the governors and other major stakeholders from the zone were angry with the national body of the party for trying to influence the choice of governorship candidates in the zone.
It was gathered that the stakeholders were surprised that President Jonathan failed to assert his authority on Mu’azu, who seemed to be dancing to the tune of some influential members of the party from the zone.
The PDP governors, it was learnt, were worried that unlike in the past, the national hierarchy of the party has not allowed them to control the party structure in their states.
Our source informed that some power brokers from the South East in the PDP were angry that the leadership of the party at the national level was questioning the endorsement of candidates in some states.
Daily Sun gathered that stakeholders and the affected governors were already discussing with other political parties, so that, should they lose in the power struggle, such platforms would be used to achieve their ambitions.
His words: “What happens in the next one month will redefine the politics of the South East zone. Many people are not happy with the way the national body of the PDP handled the delegates congressses. The national chairman wants to control what happens in all the states particularly the South East zone. The brewing crisis in the South East is being fomented by two national officers of the party from the zone. They are willing allies to few influential members, who want to control the party structure for their selfish ends.
“This is happening because Jonathan is losing grip of the party and allowing Mu’azu to call the shots as the leader instead of the other way round. If he does not call Mu’azu to order, I can assure you that he will lose the support of the governors in his presidential election. Politics is ‘rub my back, I rub yours.” The Sun
