President Goodluck Jonathan’s lack-luster presidential campaign ran into more turbulent waters today thanks to a flip-flopping pronouncement by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
President Goodluck Jonathan’s lack-luster presidential campaign ran into more turbulent waters today thanks to a flip-flopping pronouncement by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
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A source close to Mr. Jonathan told SaharaReporters that the president was “shocked and taken aback when Chief Obasanjo took the microphone and announced that zoning and federal character are enshrined in the PDP constitution.”
Our source said that the statement, which Obasanjo made at a rally at Eagle Square, Abuja, came as a shock and rattled Mr. Jonathan and his handlers. Many northern members of the PDP continue to oppose Mr. Jonathan’s campaign, citing the party’s zoning calendar to contend that it is the turn of the North to produce the party’s presidential candidate. On the other hand, Mr. Jonathan has claimed that the party did not intend for zoning to apply to the presidency.
Mr. Jonathan appears virtually locked out of critical northern zones as grassroots party members appear unreceptive to his promise to take a shot at the presidency for a single term of four years.
Today’s rally, which was the finale of Mr. Jonathan’s campaign, attracted a small and unenthusiastic crowd compared to the amount of money poured in to bus people from around Nigeria, according to our correspondent.
Our source said Mr. Obasanjo’s pronouncement was meant to rationalize the choice of Mr. Jonathan’s as the PDP’s presidential candidate. Even so, statement had the effect of reminding disaffected party members of the party’s duplicity and dishonesty on its zoning policy. Mr. Obasanjo later clarified that the "zoning policy" had been suspended for Jonathan's sake and would be reinstated as soon as he completed his tenure.
“His reckless statement is bound to further upset northerners and compound Jonathan's electoral woes,” said an Abuja-based political analyst.
Mr. Jonathan’s campaign has been marked by small, unimpressive crowds despite billions of naira of public funds poured in by state governors as well as extensive funds sourced from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other agencies.
Another PDP insider told SaharaReporters that Jonathan’s campaign stops had brought home the sobering realization of how widely unpopularity the ruling party had become in every zone of the country. “Governors and other people had been telling Mr. President that he is going to cruise to victory in the election, but the reality we met on ground during the nation-wide campaign shows that it will be tough,” said the source. The source added that Jonathan might have been able to define himself as a breed apart from other PDP chieftains, but that he allowed crooks like former Works Minister Tony Anenih and Obasanjo to hijack his campaign.
The source added that Mr. Jonathan recognized that many Nigerians despise former President Obasanjo. “Our campaign would draw more supporters if only some stakeholders, including Chief Obasanjo, would agree to keep a little distance.”
At today’s rally, stuck to a prepared speech as he spoke nervously about his future plans to a half-empty arena. His delivery was so uninspiring that he could hardly rouse the crowd.
Facing what some analysts describe as insurmountable opposition in much of the country, the PDP’s ticket is reportedly sponsoring more spurious opinion polls to falsely claim that Mr. Jonathan was ahead of his opponents by a wide margin.
Some critics believe the PDP is using the spurious polls to soften the ground to enable the party to carry out massive rigging in order to win the presidential election outright.
Other sources within the Jonathan campaign told SaharaReporters that the president and his advisers are scared about a possible run-off if the April 9th elections are free and fair.
Mr. Jonathan’s efforts to secure the support of northern leaders is said to have all but collapsed. Besides, his zonal coordinators, Governors Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State, Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State, Liyel Imoke of Cross River, Gabriel Suswan of Benue State, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State and Martins Elechi of Ebonyi State, are facing serious election challenge in their respective states.
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