2011: Jonathan’s camp woos North’s minorities
By Yusuf Alli and Chris Oji 05/07/2010 01:10:00
The President’s supporters are strategising to ensure he runs in next year’s election, despite the zoning hurdle.
Some of them, including a former Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, and the National Chairman of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, on Friday held a secret meeting with key minority leaders from the North.
Pioneer PDP chair, Solomon Lar called said a conference on zoning -the hurdle faced by the President -was on the way.
South-East governors said they would back a candidate with a good programme. None of them will run, they said.
The Abuja meeting was a move to break the ranks of elders and governors of the North who are perceived to be hell-bent on stopping Jonathan from contesting next year.
It was gathered that the South-South leaders may form a new power alliance (Congress for Equity and Change) with Northern minorities.
The meeting was held at Clark’s Plot 1280, Asokoro District, Abuja.
The session was attended by leaders from the North-East, North-Central and South-South.
At the meeting were a former President of the Senate, Chief Ameh Ebute; ex-NADECO chieftain Air Commodore Dan Suleiman, Bala Takaya, Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to the UK Gen. Halidu Hananiya; Senator Silas Janfa; Adamawa State PDP chairman; and ex-Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Babangida Nguroje.
Others from the South-South are a former Commissioner in Bayelsa State, Chief Whiskey Ayakeme; Dr. Michael Ogberebo; a former Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Dr. Esther Uduehi; and a former President of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS).
A source, who spoke in confidence, said: "One of the objectives of the meeting was to break the ranks of the North and secure support for Jonathan in about six to seven out of the 19 Northern states. There is already an assumption that the 17 states in the South-West, South-East and South-South will vote massively for Jonathan at the PDP National Convention.
"All these meetings are in line with the countdown to the presidential primary of the PDP. We are all strategising."
Another source added that Nwodo told the meeting that "Jonathan is qualified to participate in the PDP presidential primary and 2011 poll, provided he follows due process".
He also quoted the PDP National Chairman as saying: "PDP will ensure that due process is followed in its primaries to avoid our members going to other parties to contest."
On zoning, the source said Nwodo recalled that the formula was "only used in the 1999 and 2003 polls".
The PDP chairman unfolded plans to conduct online registration of new members.
Nwodo said: "All the state branches of the PDP will be given a bank account where every intending member will pay N100 a month.
"With the bank teller, you will become automatic member of the PDP. The only way to control the congress/convention delegates from being hijacked is to ensure that all of them are registered online."
South East governors yesterday resolved that they will not contest for President and Vice president in 2011 but refused to take a definite stand on whether they would support President Goodluck Jonathan for presidency or not.
They said they would rather support a candidate with the best programme that would address the "marginalisation of the South-East" as well as correct "the political imbalance" in the country.
"On the matter of national politics, the governors have resolved in the interest of the zone to stand and work together, irrespective of party affiliations. In that vein, the governors resolved that none of them will vie for the post of the president or vice president of the nation in 2011. We will support for presidency a candidate with the best programme that will address the marginalisation of the South-East zone and political imbalance in Nigeria," the governors said in a communiqué issued after their meeting in Enugu last night.
The governors, who met under the aegis of Forum of South-East Governors, also resolved to jointly wage a war against kidnapping, which has become a major security problem in the zone.
"We have resolved to match the perpetrators in the zone with equal force," the governors declared in the communique read by Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State.
The security measures adopted by the governors were not disclosed, but they specified some punitive measures to curtail the menace, which they described as disturbing.
These include that:
•all property owners in the zone are advised to ensure that their properties are not used to facilitate kidnapping as any such properties would be seized by government and the Certificate of Occupancy revoked,
•all traditional rulers and presidents-general of town unions in the zone are hereby warned that they would be held responsible for criminal acts in their communities, which occurrence would lead to withdrawal of certificate of recognition of traditional rulers or removal of the town union president-general in addition to prosecution; and that
•leaders of various market unions and motor parks will also be held responsible for what happens within their domains and finally parents and families are warned to counsel their wards to desist from any acts capable of associating them with cases of kidnap."
All the five governors were present at the meeting, which lasted for four hours.
By Yusuf Alli and Chris Oji 05/07/2010 01:10:00
The President’s supporters are strategising to ensure he runs in next year’s election, despite the zoning hurdle.
Some of them, including a former Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, and the National Chairman of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, on Friday held a secret meeting with key minority leaders from the North.
Pioneer PDP chair, Solomon Lar called said a conference on zoning -the hurdle faced by the President -was on the way.
South-East governors said they would back a candidate with a good programme. None of them will run, they said.
The Abuja meeting was a move to break the ranks of elders and governors of the North who are perceived to be hell-bent on stopping Jonathan from contesting next year.
It was gathered that the South-South leaders may form a new power alliance (Congress for Equity and Change) with Northern minorities.
The meeting was held at Clark’s Plot 1280, Asokoro District, Abuja.
The session was attended by leaders from the North-East, North-Central and South-South.
At the meeting were a former President of the Senate, Chief Ameh Ebute; ex-NADECO chieftain Air Commodore Dan Suleiman, Bala Takaya, Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to the UK Gen. Halidu Hananiya; Senator Silas Janfa; Adamawa State PDP chairman; and ex-Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Babangida Nguroje.
Others from the South-South are a former Commissioner in Bayelsa State, Chief Whiskey Ayakeme; Dr. Michael Ogberebo; a former Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Dr. Esther Uduehi; and a former President of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS).
A source, who spoke in confidence, said: "One of the objectives of the meeting was to break the ranks of the North and secure support for Jonathan in about six to seven out of the 19 Northern states. There is already an assumption that the 17 states in the South-West, South-East and South-South will vote massively for Jonathan at the PDP National Convention.
"All these meetings are in line with the countdown to the presidential primary of the PDP. We are all strategising."
Another source added that Nwodo told the meeting that "Jonathan is qualified to participate in the PDP presidential primary and 2011 poll, provided he follows due process".
He also quoted the PDP National Chairman as saying: "PDP will ensure that due process is followed in its primaries to avoid our members going to other parties to contest."
On zoning, the source said Nwodo recalled that the formula was "only used in the 1999 and 2003 polls".
The PDP chairman unfolded plans to conduct online registration of new members.
Nwodo said: "All the state branches of the PDP will be given a bank account where every intending member will pay N100 a month.
"With the bank teller, you will become automatic member of the PDP. The only way to control the congress/convention delegates from being hijacked is to ensure that all of them are registered online."
South East governors yesterday resolved that they will not contest for President and Vice president in 2011 but refused to take a definite stand on whether they would support President Goodluck Jonathan for presidency or not.
They said they would rather support a candidate with the best programme that would address the "marginalisation of the South-East" as well as correct "the political imbalance" in the country.
"On the matter of national politics, the governors have resolved in the interest of the zone to stand and work together, irrespective of party affiliations. In that vein, the governors resolved that none of them will vie for the post of the president or vice president of the nation in 2011. We will support for presidency a candidate with the best programme that will address the marginalisation of the South-East zone and political imbalance in Nigeria," the governors said in a communiqué issued after their meeting in Enugu last night.
The governors, who met under the aegis of Forum of South-East Governors, also resolved to jointly wage a war against kidnapping, which has become a major security problem in the zone.
"We have resolved to match the perpetrators in the zone with equal force," the governors declared in the communique read by Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State.
The security measures adopted by the governors were not disclosed, but they specified some punitive measures to curtail the menace, which they described as disturbing.
These include that:
•all property owners in the zone are advised to ensure that their properties are not used to facilitate kidnapping as any such properties would be seized by government and the Certificate of Occupancy revoked,
•all traditional rulers and presidents-general of town unions in the zone are hereby warned that they would be held responsible for criminal acts in their communities, which occurrence would lead to withdrawal of certificate of recognition of traditional rulers or removal of the town union president-general in addition to prosecution; and that
•leaders of various market unions and motor parks will also be held responsible for what happens within their domains and finally parents and families are warned to counsel their wards to desist from any acts capable of associating them with cases of kidnap."
All the five governors were present at the meeting, which lasted for four hours.
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