JONATHAN-5
At the end of their meeting, which started at about 4 p.m. and ended at 7:45 p.m., Akwa -Ibom State Governor and chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, Godswill Akpabio, read the communiqué of the meeting, where the governors proclaimed President Jonathan as sole candidate.
The communiqué read in part:
“ At the end of the 2014/ 8th meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum held on Wednesday, September 17, 2014, at Akwa -Ibom State Governor’s Lodge Asokoro, Abuja, members of the Forum deliberated on a number of issues and at the end resolved as follows:
“The Forum hereby endorses Dr Goodluck Jonathan, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for a second term in office and resolved to support his bid for re-election in 2015.
“The Forum urges all PDP faithful to support this gesture which should enable the President to become the sole presidential candidate of the PDP in 2015.”
The governors “commended the efforts of the Armed Forces in fighting insurgency in the North-East and other parts of the country and urged Nigerians and the international community to continue to cooperate with the Federal Government to stamp out terrorism in the country.
Daily Sun checks revealed that the governors’ stance confirmed speculation that President Jonathan, who is yet to formally declare his interest for the party ticket, would emerge through an affirmation process at the presidential convention fixed for December 6 in Abuja.
Party leaders are expected to ratify the timetable for the party’s primaries for National Assembly, governorship primaries and presidential convention at the PDP NEC meeting fixed for today.
At the meeting last night held at Akwa-Ibom Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, 14 governors were present while four were represented by their deputies.
Jigawa Governor, Sule Lamido, who has signified interest in the presidential ticket of the party was absent but was represented by his deputy.
Speaking earlier with newsmen yesterday at the party’s national secretariat, its national publicity scribe, Olisa Metuh disclosed that November 22 and 29, 2014 had been fixed for National Assembly and governorship pri­maries, respectively.
Also, Daily Sun source further revealed that sale of forms for all the elective offices would be open to aspirants between 27 and 28 October.
“Elected party officials interested in elective offices on the party’s platform are expected to have resigned from their positions, seven days to commencement of ward delegates,” the Daily Sun source said.