There are indications that President Goodluck Jonathan is on his way to declaring his intention, in February next year, to contest the 2015 Presidential election for his second term in office, as he begins his consultation with the national chairman of his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, governors elected under the platform of the party and other relevant stakeholders tonight.
The President has scheduled a crucial talk with the stakeholders at the Presidential Villa, Abuja at 9 pm today. The meeting will be preceded by another one to be held at the Asokoro, Abuja residence of the national chairman with other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Sources said that the second meeting between the president, governors and Mu’azu would be used by Jonathan as an opportunity to inform the party and the governors of his decision to seek a second term in office.
“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.”
The President has before now, remained silence over whether or not he would seek for second term, though pressures have been mounting on him, especially from his kinsmen and women in the Niger Delta and within the ruling PDP.
It was 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.
“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.” [myad]
