Despite not having yet formally declared his intentions to run for re-election in 2015, President Goodluck Jonathan has already gotten his first endorsement from the South-West caucus of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
At a meeting of the party on Tuesday, the caucus picked former President Olusegun Obasanjo as its grand patron and 20 other patrons, took the position, following a motion moved by Chief Tola Odulaja.
However, former governors, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun); Segun Oni (Ekiti), Adebayo Alao-Akala (Oyo) and Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), were conspicuously absent at the parley.
It issued a communiqué at the end of the parley, saying that the decision was reached “after carefully X-raying the leadership qualities and transformation efforts of President Goodluck Jonathan, and in view of the fact that he is constitutionally qualified to seek re-election.”
The South-West caucus, under the chairmanship of Chief Ishola Filani, while taking the decision, said it unanimously passed a vote of confidence in the transformation agenda of President Jonathan, the leadership roles of the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), the zonal caretaker committee and the state executives.
The party also lauded Jonathan on the measures so far taken in combating the current security challenges in the country, just as it said “it appreciates the appointments made so far in the South-West by the president,” though it pleaded that further appointments be routed through the party.
Speaking on efforts towards 2014 governorship polls in Ekiti and Osun states and the 2015 general election, the forum said it resolved “to henceforth work as a united entity for the success of the party in all the forthcoming elections in Nigeria.”
The patrons listed at parley were Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, Chief Tunde Osunrinde, Senator Bode Olajumoke, Chief Olabode George, Senator Awoyelu, Alhaji Yekini Adeojo, Chief Rasheed Williams, Alhaji Jubril Martins Kuye, Chief Alani Bankole, Chief (Mrs) Mobolaji Osomo, Mrs Aduke Maina, Chief Yinka Omilani, Chief Ebenezer Babatope and Professor Tunde Adeniran.