SaharaReporters has learned of a new twist in the desire of
some top officials of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
for a six-month postponement of polls in Nigeria, with
several sources saying a faction of the party would work to
replace President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s
presidential candidate.
In separate interviews with SaharaReporters, numerous
PDP officials disclosed that many founding members of the
party had lost confidence in Mr. Jonathan’s viability as a
candidate, adding that a faction within the party had
discussed easing the incumbent president out of the
presidential race, and replacing him with another candidate
from the Niger Delta zone.
“The only obstacle to the plan is that the South-South might
kick against it, so we have arrived at a consensus to find
another candidate,” one of our sources, a northerner, said.
“If elections could be postponed for six months, we will
definitely replace President Jonathan as our candidate,”
another member of the faction confirmed.
In a clear sign that the party was crumbling was within,
several high ranking PDP members said they regretted
letting President Jonathan carry the party’s flag as a
presidential candidate in the forthcoming elections. Some of
them confessed to being aware that the party’s prospects
looked dire with Mr. Jonathan holding the presidential
ticket.
“We are the ones who started the push for six months delay
in the elections to enable us [to] put in place an interim
government which would then enable the party to change
its presidential candidate to somebody that is more
competitive,” one official confessed. He added that Mr.
Jonathan’s faction also sought the extension for their own
designs, which was to explore ways of rigging the
elections.
Our interviews revealed that many PDP governorship
candidates in the north and elsewhere in the country were
secretly working against Mr. Jonathan’s re-election or
quietly distancing themselves from him.
One party leader revealed that some candidates in the
northern area were all but campaigning for Mr. Buhari, the
presidential flag bearer of the opposition All Progressives
Congress (APC).
However, some PDP officials told SaharaReporters that,
while they hoped that President Jonathan could be
sidelined to increase the chances of the party in the
upcoming elections, they also wished that the APC would
also dump Mr. Buhari as its presidential candidate.
The party officials claimed that key political figures across
Nigeria continue to view a Buhari Presidency with mortal
fear because of his stubborn personality and his promise to
punish the corrupt.
Several of the PDP officials told SaharaReporters that the
rift between Mr. Jonathan and a large faction in the party
that wants him dumped was reflected in the responses to
former President Olusegun Obasanjo who two days ago
dramatically announced his resignation from the PDP,
publicly tearing his membership card. Two of the officials
disclosed that, while Mr. Jonathan’s aides launched direct
attacks on Mr. Obasanjo, the officials at the party
headquarters in Abuja adopted a more cautious and
subdued tone, regretting that the former president had
decided to leave the party.
Some officials stated that the party hierarchy viewed Mr.
Obasanjo’s public departure from the party as a dangerous
signal and as a major threat. “Chief Obasanjo doesn’t just
come out swinging the way he has done recently unless he
is privy to the existence of some third forces that are
against President Jonathan. And to the best of our
knowledge, the former president has never fought a battle
like this and lost, no matter how long it takes him,” one of
the officials said.
“The truth is that many senators, honorable members of the
House of Reps and governors are loyal to Baba, Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo. So they are doing Baba’s bidding even
though they are giving Mr. President [Jonathan] the
impression that they are with him,” another party official in
Abuja said.
The party officials acknowledged that the statements of
former President Obasanjo in the last three days had
caused a major havoc on the party’s plans to work towards
an interim national government.
Several of the PDP officials attributed the fractiousness
within the party to the way Mr. Jonathan and his wife,
Patience Jonathan, imposed unpopular candidates on the
party in various parts of the country. Even though they
agreed that Mr. Obasanjo had imposed candidates on the
party in the past, one PDP official said the Jonathans
consistently backed candidates who were extremely
unpopular within the PDP and unelectable.
Asked if President Jonathan was aware of plans to replace
him, some of our sources said the president knew that
many powerful members of the party were not satisfied with
his style and low performance. One source said former Vice
President Alex Ekwueme and even the party’s chairman of
the board of trustees, Tony Anenih, were far from
enthusiastic about Mr. Jonathan’s re-election.
“President Jonathan’s candidature and unpopularity are
damaging the party,” one official stated. He added that the
party’s electoral prospects in the general elections had
dwindled dramatically. “We are only sure of carrying about
11 states in the country, according to our internal polls,”
one party official disclosed.
Party officials also said they were determined to change
numerous candidates for governorships, the Senate and
House of Representatives in several states if the six-month
postponement ever became a reality. “The way President
Jonathan and First Lady Patience Jonathan picked many
candidates has now weakened the party across the
country,” one top official in Abuja complained.

Dey cn as well forget d elections,dey tink postponing d election cn prevent d inevitable

chai, diaris God o!

I refuse to read it because it's a SCAM!

Really long.

Mtche3w... #hogwash