President Goodluck Jonathan and his
campaign handlers have redoubled
their efforts to get significant votes
from the South-West during the
March 28 presidential election.
The PUNCH gathered on Thursday
that the decision was based on
calculations that the zone, because
of its high number of registered
voters, was critical to Jonathan’s re-
election.
A Presidency official told one of our
correspondents that that was why the
members of the Peoples Democratic
Party Presidential Campaign Council
decided that Jonathan should reach
out more to political, opinion leaders
and traditional rulers in the zone with
a view to getting their support.
He said that Jonathan and his
handlers had therefore decided to
use his ongoing visit to the South-
West to carry out the task.
Jonathan, who was in Lagos on
Thursday to inaugurate four Naval
platforms, is expected to remain in
the zone till Sunday. He later met
with the Yoruba Council of Elders at
the State House, Marina, Lagos.
Our source said the campaign team
believes that the meeting could
easily influence their (YCE ) followers
to support Jonathan.
According to him, barring any last
minute change in plan, Jonathan will
be visiting the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba
Lamidi Adeyemi III, on Saturday.
On the same day, the President will
visit the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade
Sijuwade.
He said, “You will recall that when
the President visited Ibadan for his
campaign, he only visited Olubadan.
We have identified the need for him
to also visit the Alaafin of Oyo.
“The same thing happened when we
were at Osogbo for the presidential
rally. He visited the Ataoja of
Osogbo. We have found it necessary
to visit the Ooni of Ife.
“More traditional rulers from the zone
will be reached out to during this
period, one way or the other.
“The simple message for these
monarchs is for them to support the
President’s re-election bid.”
The opposition All Progressives
Congress controls three states in the
South-West(Lagos, Oyo and Osun)
while Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic
Party is in charge of Ekiti and Ondo
states. The PUNCH had reported
exclusively on Tuesday that following
the delay of polls dates, the PDP
Campaign Council had resolved to
begin another round of state-wide
campaigns.
It was reported then that unlike the
just-concluded campaigns that took
Jonathan to about 35 states, about
10 states would be visited during
this round for more “penetration and
consultations.”
Some Yoruba leaders, who converged
on Akure, Ondo State on Thursday to
review the recommendations of the
National Conference, concluded that
a vote for Jonathan would ensure the
implementation of the conference’s
recommendations.
The meeting by the Yoruba leaders
under the aegis of Afenifere Group.
was tagged, ‘’National Conference,
2015 Elections and the Yoruba
Nation.’
The Chairman of the occasion, Chief
Ayo Adebanjo, set the tone of the
meeting, saying that the support
expressed by Afenifere for Jonathan
was not partisan but based on the
interest of the South-West people.
He said the vision of a restructured
Nigeria was being realised with the
convening of the 2014 National
Conference.
Adebanjo said, “We are supporting
Jonathan because of the consistency
of the Yoruba to have this country
restructured so that it can develop.
“People are calling for change. I want
a change in the constitution of
Nigeria. Only a change in the
constitution can truly bring about the
change that we need.”
The convener of the summit, who is
also the Ondo State Governor,
Olusegun Mimiko, stressed the need
for change in the 1999 Constitution
so as to enable the Yoruba nation to
grow its economy independently.
He said, “The Confab report, when
implemented, will create room for
each state to have its own
constitution, its own police force, its
own prison service. Each state can
create its own local government, can
build its own airports, sea ports and
railways in addition.
“In the economic domain, solid
minerals that had been the exclusive
preserve of the Federal Government
since independence, have now been
brought to the concurrent list. States
can now create employment and
develop at their own pace. With all
that, it liberates everybody; it opens
up the political space.”
Mimiko noted that Jonathan was
genuinely committed to transforming
Nigeria through the convening of the
National Conference, adding that the
outcome had proved sceptics wrong.
He said now that those deriding the
conference had been proved wrong,
they had been scheming “to hijack
power so as to throw the Confab
report to the dustbin of history.”
In their goodwill messages, the
Founder of the O’odua Peoples
Congress, Frederick Faseun, and the
National Coordinator, OPC, Gani
Adams, warned that the National
Conference report remained a vehicle
for actualising the Yoruba dream of a
prosperous South-West.
Others in attendance were Kunle
Olajide, Biodun Olujimi, Makanjuola
Ogundipe, Femi Okurounmu, Gboyega
Isiaka, Jide Adeniyi, Yinka Odumakin
and the Minister of State for Works,
Dapo Adeyeye.
www.punchng.com/news/jonathan-renews-efforts-to-woo-south-west-voters/

More grease to his elbow

The conference agreement is not acceptable to the country of western Nigeria. And Jonathan should throw it away.

The conference was bullshiit, written with people who lack education.

Whatever he likes, let him do.
It's still BUHARI/OSINBAJO all the way!

He will try.
He will spend a lot of money(looted one)
I say he will try.
But he will still lose his re-election bid.

When you have Omisore, Fayose, Adesiyan in your camp then you are dead on arrival in the SW.

I come dey pity this GEJ guy, how far can Frederic Faseun, Gani Adams,
Kunle Olajide, Biodun Olujimi, Makanjuola Ogundipe, Femi Okurounmu, Gboyega Isiaka, Jide Adeniyi and Yinka Odumakin go in helping his ambition!
Are these people politically relevant individuals in the South-West or group of hungry expired politicians just looking for their own share of the national loot! Just thinking nooni o, don't "quoted" me o!

The opposition All Progressives
Congress controls three states in the
South-West(Lagos, Oyo and Osun)
while Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic Party is in charge of Ekiti and Ondo
states. The PUNCH had reported
exclusively on Tuesday that following
the delay of polls dates, the PDP
Campaign Council had resolved to
begin another round of state-wide campaigns.

As usual, crappy reporting.

Where they throw Ogun state?

That deadbeat conference is not acceptable to the Yorubas.
If you want to do a conference, let us start from 1960 with 3 regions .
Let start from there and start asking the question
who wants to stay?
who wants to go alone?
and who wants to join and go with others?

Who are these so called forum not recognised. Show me any one that is not a card carrier of any party or pro any political party and i believe. Until then, they are bunch of IDIOTS.Jonathan still need to meet The Yoruba Nairalanders. Awon Oloriburuku somebody. SHIOR.

Ondo State Governor,
Olusegun Mimiko; defrauding GEJ since 1984

GEJ is a goner

To little to late.

I thought Thief George, Koro, and co, said 80% of people in the SW have made up their minds to vote for Jonathan... Why is he still "wooing" already won hearts

Smh.

They should not fall for this fraud. How many committee recommendations has he implemented. This is another joker in their hands and I don't think the YCE have any political value.