2015: Don’t declare now, PDP govs caution Jonathan

by Olusola Fabiyi

President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has been advised to tarry a little, before attempting to declare his second term ambition.

Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, stated this at a meeting they had with the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday night.

Though the governors   were in support of the President’s bid for re-election, they said the nation’s mood was not ripe for such a declaration.

Investigations by our correspondent in Abuja on Tuesday and Wednesday showed that the meeting considered the plight of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls and security challenges facing the country.

It was learnt that based on these two major issues, the governors asked the President to study the mood of the nation more before considering an open declaration for re-election.

Two of the governors, who were at the meeting and spoke with our correspondent separately, said that the President was advised to either visit Chibok or in the alternative, allow the parents of the kidnapped schoolgirls visit him at the Presidential Villa.

One of them said, “The meeting was a painstaking one. We considered so many things. We talked about so many issues. While it was true we spoke about how to reposition the party and the gains we are making across the country ahead of the 2015 general elections, we also considered the probability of when the President could make his open declaration.

“Some of my colleagues argued that the time was ripe, but others felt that the mood of the country and even the international community are not favourable.

“We argued that if the President declares now, it will be seen as being politically bad and not in the best interest of the nation and that it could be termed as being against the spirit of fatherhood.”

He said based on this, the President was “advised to meet with the parents of the girls, even if some are going to see it as coming a bit late. It is better done now instead of allowing it go into history that the President did not visit or invite them for a meeting.”

Apart from this, another governor said that the meeting also noticed that the Independent National Electoral Commission had yet to release the guidelines for the election.

“We know that the campaigns are for him and part of efforts to strengthen the image of the government and that of the President. The position does not have this opportunity,” he added.