In a move aimed at paving the way for his declaration to contest the 2015 presidential election slated for February, President Goodluck Jonathan will, at 9 pm today, meet all the governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as well as the National Chairman of the party, Adamu Mu’azu.
Prior to meeting the governor, they will be expected to meet at the Asokoro, Abuja residence of the national chairman with other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party before proceeding to the Presidential Villa to meet with the president and some key cabinet members.
A presidency source told THISDAY that the second meeting between the president, governors and Mu’azu is expected to be the icebreaker, as Jonathan would use the opportunity to inform the party and the governors of his decision to seek a second term in office.
According to the source, “The decision to officially inform the party and the governors stems from his recognition of the governors as being the field commanders in their states and it would not be fair for them and the party to get the information of his decision to seek re-election secondhand.”
Though it is common knowledge that Jonathan’s loyalists have been showcasing the achievements of his transformation agenda, he has not officially declared his intention to seek re-election.
THISDAY further gathered that the PDP governors, in their first meeting with Mu’azu and NWC, will be expected to re-table their demand for those completing their second terms to play a role in who succeeds them, while those in their first terms would be asking for automatic tickets to seek re-election.
The source told THISDAY, “You don’t discard a winning team and cause trouble by calling for primaries when you know that some of the governors are interested in second terms in office. We have to first give the governors on their first terms, the right of first refusal.”
Equally, the South-south governors and other stakeholders of the party will tomorrow meet in Calabar to ratify the nomination of Hon. Cairo Ujuogbo as the new National Vice Chairman of the party.
This is as a result of the vacuum created with the appointment of Dr. Steve Oru as the Minister of the Niger Delta Ministry. Oru was the former National Vice Chairman for the South-south geopolitical zone.
Immediately after Oru was confirmed minister by the Senate, the Delta State PDP chapter summoned a meeting for the replacement of the new minister.
The meeting was attended by PDP stakeholders from the Senate, House of Representatives, Delta State House of Assembly, and the state governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan. Others who attended the meeting were Chief Edwin Clark, Mu’azu and the Chairman of the PDP in the state, Peter Nwaobosi.
At the meeting, Ojougbo was unanimously nominated to take over from Oru, as the office of the National Vice Chairman had been zoned to Delta State. Thisday
GEJ, God is with you