Chairman of the Presidential Declaration Committee, Dr. Haliru Bello has made it clear that the setting up the committee yesterday by President Goodluck Jonathan did not automatically translate into his formal declaration to run for the Presidency for another term in 2015.
Dr. Bello, who spoke with State House correspondents at the end of the committee’s inaugural meeting at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa today said: “President has not said anything yet but it is like all Nigerians have called on him. It is our honest hope that he will come out and say yes to the demand of multitude of Nigerians.”
According to the chairman, the President gave the committee the task to organise the modality of creating a platform for him to meet Nigerians and announce his response to the various calls for him to come out and declare his interest in the presidential election.
“We expect he will say yes but we cannot say yes for him. We will wait for him to speak.
“The date that is fixed is Tuesday, November 11. On that day, there will be a forum for the President to meet Nigerians to announce his decision. The venue is yet to be decided. That will be decided at our next meeting.
“When we come out on November 11, the President will face the people of Nigeria and say yes to their demand.
“If he says yes, it will be yes. If he says no, then it is negative. But you are aware that our party, the PDP, in all its organs, from the caucus to the Board of Trustees, NWC had decided that President Jonathan should be given the first option of refusal with the PDP ticket.
“If he is going to contest, the PDP will give him preference. As the President, he has performed and we are satisfied with what he has done.
“It is only when he declines that we can look at any other contestant.” [myad]
