President Jonathan To Formally Declare For Re-election November 11

President Goodluck Jonathan is set to formally declare his intention to seek re-election in 2015 on November 11.

Chairman of the Presidential Declaration Committee, Dr. Haliru Bello, disclosed this on Friday when he spoke to State House correspondents at the end of the committee's inaugural meeting held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

However, the venue for the declaration has not been fixed.

Bello said: “The President gave us the task to organise the modality for creating a platform for him to meet Nigerians and announce his response to the various calls for him to come out and declare his interest in the presidential election.

“The President has not said anything yet but it is like all Nigerians have called on him to contest. It is our honest hope that he will come out and say yes to the demand of multitude of Nigerians. We expect he will say yes but we cannot say yes for him. We will wait for him to speak.

“The date that is fixed is Tuesday, November 11. On that day, there will be a forum for the President to meet Nigerians to announce his decision. The venue is yet to be decided. That will be decided at our next meeting.

“When we come out on November 11, the President will face the people of Nigeria and say yes to their demand.

“If he says yes, it will be yes. If he says no, then it is negative. But you are aware that our party, the PDP in all its organs, from the caucus to the Board of Trustees, NWC had decided that President Jonathan should be given the first option of refusal with the PDP ticket.”

He added that if Jonathan declares to run, the PDP would give him preference.

As the president, Bello noted that Jonathan had performed well and that the party was satisfied with what he had done.

“It is only when he declines that we can look at any other contestant,” he stressed.

The president declaration committee which include Dr. Haliru Bello as chairman, Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, Ibrahim Shema of Katsina, Saidu Ibrahim Dakwambo of Gombe, Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo, and Liyel Imoke of Cross River Godswill Akpabio, Sule Lamido and Gabriel Suswam.

Most of the committee members attended the meeting yesterday. They include Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, Ibrahim Shema of Katsina, Saidu Ibrahim Dakwambo of Gombe, Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo, and Liyel Imoke of Cross River.

Fund Raising Dinner Committee Inaugurated…

Prior to the meeting of the Presidential Declaration Committee, Jonathan had on Thursday inaugurated a PDP Fund Raising Dinner Committee headed by Professor Jerry Gana with Alhaji Abdulsalmad Rabiu as Vice Chairman.

Three governors - Godswill Akpabio, Sule Lamido and Gabriel Suswam – are also members of the committee.