Eminent leaders from the South West Saturday gathered in Ibadan, Oyo State, to declare their support for the re-election of President Jonathan in the forthcoming 2015 Presidential election.
To demonstrate the readiness of the South West to the President’s second term bid, 1.8 million signatures collated from the people of the region were presented to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim, for onward transmission to President Jonathan.
At the rally organised by the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) and held at the main bowl of the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium were the Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Jones Arogbofa; Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan; Dayo Adeyeye; Former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George; former Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State; his Oyo State counterpart, Adebayo Alao-Akala; Dr Doyin Okupe; Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Olajumoke Akinjide; Leader of the House of Representatives, Mulikat Akande-Adeola; Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Hosea Agboola; Alhaji Yekeen Adeojo; and Honourable Dimeji Bankole.
Others are: Dr Akinwunmi Adesina; Senator Iyiola Omisore; Teslim Folarin; Prince Buruji Kashamu; Kingsley Kuku; Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; Mr. Jide Adeniji; Chief Olusola Oke; Gboyega Isiaka; Chief Ebenezer Babatope; Chief Shuaib Oyedokun; Honourable Muraina Ajibola; Femi Babalola and Seyi Makinde, among others.
Speaking, one after the other, the South West leaders predicated their endorsement of Jonathan for 2015 on his transformation of the country, particularly the Yoruba, through various Federal government projects spread across the region.
George, who is a member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), said Jonathan, apart from his transformation of the country, deserves to come back for successfully convoking a national conference of all groups in the country to discuss the myriads of problems confronting the nation.
The PDP chieftain charged the people of the region to continue to give their support to Jonathan and the party, pointing out that the PDP is the only political group with all the national colours.
He said this was why those who had strayed from the PDP to “the bridge that leads to nowhere” would always find a way of coming back to their “roots”.
He expressed confidence in a resounding victory for the president in 2015.
While speaking on behalf of Oyo State, Akinjide said Jonathan deserves to be re-elected by South West people for the transformation of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Sagamu-Benin-Ore Expressway and fixing of the dilapidated railway, among many other projects.
Akinjide said Jonathan’s victory in 2015 would be pan-Nigerian, as his unprecedented achievements are already speaking for him across the country.
She assured the organisers of the rally, Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), of unflinching support from the people of the state and the region for the transformation agenda.
Akande-Adeola, who was assisted by her colleagues from the state, declared the support of the National Assembly members in the state for Jonathan.
She tasked those who were yet to register as voters in the ongoing voter registration exercise to quickly do so, saying only those registered could vote for the PDP and the President next year.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Jones Arogbofa, said he is confident of Jonathan’s victory in the South West, given the quality of leaders assembled at the rally.
Speaking after the documented 1.8 million signatures were presented to him for onward delivery to the President, Anyim expressed appreciation to the South West leaders and people for their endorsement and support for Jonathan.
Meanwhile, the state’s governor-elect, Ayodele Fayose, and some of the Ministers from the zone were conspicuously absent. The Guardian
