2015 APC Challenge: More Troubles For Jonathan In S’South Bode Gbadebo — Oct 20, 2014 | 15 Comments In the face of a possible challenge from the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), President Goodluck Jonathan’s strategists have moved to avert a depletion of votes from his immediate political zone, the South South. The zone is said to be considered “unsafe and fragile” for the president and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), due to bickering among members of the ruling party. Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Delta states are listed among the states in focus. But PDP national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh has dismissed as “erroneous” any impression that the party was facing challenges as a result of friction in any part. The party said it was intact and up to the task ahead of it. All the same, in the thinking of some around the president, pockets of intra- party crises in the states of the PDP were not in the interest of the president’s desire to return in 2015. The president’s kitchen cabinet members are said to be particularly disturbed by the crisis of confidence that has crept into most state chapters of the PDP in the South-South amid reports that the APC is considering picking its presidential running mate from the zone. According to a source close to the presidency, a few factors were being considered in the renewed efforts to reposition the South-South zone. These include whether or not the APC will actually pick its running mate from zone. And if the vice presidential candidate of the opposition party does come from the zone, how the president’s handlers as well party strategists will stave off “possible depletion of PDP votes” is another issue said to under consideration. “In the last few days, we have been watching the political scenario and quite honestly, every day has come with some measure of interesting revelations as we approach the 2015 elections. “As a party, we are determined and we are very sure that Mr President will win the 2015 presidential contest. But the issue is beyond the win, how to win convincingly without the possible depletion of the PDP votes and strongholds is our goal, because a lot of things are coming up by the day in the states. “It has therefore become necessary, in view of recent happenings within the polity, to review the tactics we had put in place before the declaration of General Muhammadu Buhari last week. In essence, we have to return to base and have a critical analysis of a possible Buhari candidature, because that is the only man who can come close to contest, if he emerges as the candidate of the APC,” the source said. The source, a member of the PDP’s Board of Trustees (BoT) said that even though some of the president’s trusted men were reviewing earlier strategies to win not only the presidential poll, but also as many seats as possible in the National Assembly election, latest revelations from some of the affected states were “disturbing signals”. For instance in Rivers State, LEADERSHIP learnt that the PDP was already considering zoning the party’s governorship ticket to the riverine areas of the state. This latest development is coming on the heels of pressure from some influential forces who have vowed to stop an Ikwerre governorship candidature. Former minister of state for education, Nyesom Wike, an Ikwerre indigene, is already threatening to dump the PDP if the zoning is allowed. Wike was said to have left the Federal Executive Council on the strength of a promise that he would fly the party’s ticket. The rumoured vice presidential bid of Governor Amaechi (also an Ikwere indigene), coupled with his resolve to field an APC candidate outside Ikwerre appears to have effected a change of heart in the direction of a non-Ikwerre man. For now, Senator Magnus Abe, Lee Maeba and Hon Dakuku Peterside are the prominent non-Ikwerrre aspirants. Either way, the 1,817,762 votes recorded by the PDP in the 2011 presidential election may not be achieved in 2015, with Amaechi’s hold on the state as the incumbent governor. In Delta, the situation, though similar, is with a different effect, as the resolve of the party leadership in the state to zone the governorship seat to the northern senatorial district has ruffled feathers. The Urhobo ethnic nationality, which constitutes the central senatorial district, is already threatening to join forces with the APC if they are zoned out. They are basing their position on the 2011 election figures. Out of the 1,378, 851 votes polled by PDP’s Jonathan in the 2011 presidential election, Delta central senatorial zone (the Urhobo) delivered 824,000 (59.0 per cent), while the north to which the governorship was zoned recorded 149,000 (10.8 per cent). The south senatorial district polled 405,851 (29.4) in the said election. LEADERSHIP gathered that leaders of the Urhobo ethnic nationality have resolved to field a candidate in the APC, if the senatorial district was not considered in the PDP. To this end, submissions are said to have been made to both the Presidency and the national leadership of the PDP on the need to repudiate the earlier zoning in favour of the northern zone. Consequently, five names are said to have been considered as possible successors to Governor Uduaghan. They are erstwhile secretary to the state government, Ovie Omo-Agege, Paulinus Akpeki, David Edevbie, current deputy governor, Amos Utuama and Senator Emmanuel Aghariavwodo. Barring the unforeseen, the race may narrow down to Omo-Agege and Aghariavwodo. Both had contested the last October 2013 senatorial by-election, until the former was prevailed upon to step down for the latter to emerge. In Akwa Ibom State, the seeming ouster of Senator Aloysious Etok by Governor Godswill Akpabio has reportedly stirred up rough waters, with reports that the embattled senator was already considering another platform upon which to return to the Senate in 2015. This is even as PDP BoT member and a former governor of the state, Chief Don Etiebet and Victor Attah respectively, have vowed to stop Governor Akpabio’s anointed governorship aspirant, Udom Emmanuel in the election. In Edo State, the APC challenge would be greater for the president, should the opposition party decide to fly a presidential ticket with Governor Adams Oshiomhole on it. Regardless, Metuh dismissed the scenario, saying the PDP had nothing to worry about. “There is nothing to worry about at all. All these are rumours you men of the media should ignore. I make bold to say that they are media imaginations. “Very soon, I know that there will be reports about friction between the NWC and senators, between governors and president and so on. I can tell you that there is nothing like that; the party is intact. We are up to the task and nothing is real in the real sense of it to shake us anywhere in the country,” Metuh said. Also reacting, the PDP national vice chairman (South-South), Dr Cairo Ojougboh said that issues of the scramble for position by governors and senators, or zoning among districts had long been resolved. “Such issues as you have asked are no longer our challenges, we have resolved all issues. Even in areas where governors and senators had issues, they have been resolved, so there can’t be a situation as you have asked. “South-South is total for President Jonathan, it is total for PDP. The only stray state, which is Rivers, is even going to join us soon, including Edo State. I urge you to ignore all such rumours, because we as a party, we have resolved to instill fair play. No governor will be allowed to cheat anyone and all qualified party members will exercise their rights,” he said. Automatic Tickets: Jonathan, PDP Govs In Late Night Meeting In Aso Rock In a related development, President Goodluck Jonathan last night entered into a closed door meeting with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors at the presidential villa, Abuja. Details of the meeting which commenced at about 9:40pm at the First Lady’s conference room was still unknown at press time. But LEADERSHIP gathered that the meeting may not be unconnected with the seeming row between the governors and the party leadership over the directive that there should be no automatic ticket for governorship aspirants after the party had unanimously endorsed and adopted Jonathan as its sole candidate for the 2015 presidential election. The governors were said to have been angry over the party’s decision not to accord them the opportunity of getting automatic ticket for those seeking second term or for those wishing to give same to their anointed candidates in their various states. The meeting was ongoing at the time filing this report. The state governors present the meeting were those of Kebbi, Kaduna, Gombe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Ondo, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Cross River, Katsina, Abia, Niger and Taraba. The governors of Kogi and Nasarawa were represented by their deputies respectively.
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 10:37:12 +0000
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