[size=14pt]Southwest PDP adopts Jonathan for 2011[/size]
By Jide Jegede
August 28, 2010 07:40PM

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), South-West chapter, on Saturday adopted the candidacy of President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2011 presidential election. Leaders of the party in the region met at the House of Chiefs, Parliamentary Building, Ibadan, to assess the quality of the presidential aspirants in the party with a view to making their stand on which to queue behind for the election.

After about two-hour closed door meeting, Tajudeen Oladipo, Vice Chairman of the party in the zone, read out an 8-point communiqué detailing how and why they resolved to support the incumbent for the 2011 presidential election.

"The meeting studied, analysed and assessed each of the major aspirants based on their antecedents and abilities to carry the nation forward when elected so as to ensure policy consistency.

"After rigorous and exhaustive deliberation, the zone resolved that it will serve the best interest of the zone and Nigeria to support the candidature of President Goodluck Jonathan," the communiqué reads in part.
Chaired by Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria and chairman, PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), the party had earlier acknowledged the efforts and rights of other aspirants eyeing the position within the party, as well as the controversial issue of zoning.

Though the president is yet to be forthcoming on his desire to run for presidency in 2011, while reports have it that he may formally declare early next month (September), the meeting declared that ‘the president has expressed intention to contest the presidential primaries on the platform of the PDP'.

The communiqué, which was presented as the consensus position of all party leaders in the region, was said to be "in the interest of the party and indeed Nigerians in general".

The host, Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala and the Mr. Oladipo, who, in their different speeches, harped on the significance of the meeting emphasized the need to be thorough in their scrutiny of the candidates as their decision would have telling effect on the party's primaries and, by implication, who becomes the next president of the nation.

Well attended by the big names of the party in the southwest, the meeting was fully coloured with political songs, mini rallies and display of posters.

All the known political foes of the Governor Alao-Akala were, however, conspicuously absent.Representatives from the South-South and the North took their turns to applaud the decision.

Atuboyedia Obianime (President, Ijaw National Congress), who spoke on behalf of the South-South people thanked the gathering, promising that the president will not disappoint the people of the southwest and the entire country for supporting him.

"This decision is a testimony that South West has been the leader in giving direction to what happens in this country, South West has done it again. Other zones have to copy this because there is nothing other than peaceful coexistence of the nation. We are not going to wait on other zones because your decision is going to transcend to other zones. This is for the sustenance of the sovereignty of this nation. This will be of interest to any country of the world that is democratic and not Nigeria alone", said Bala Kaoje, who spoke on behalf of the North.

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I mean- who else will they adopt in PDP?
Ibb? no
Atiku? no

lol- I mean in any election whether rigging or not- you have to have a candidate that is sellable and realistic - who people will actually vote for. IBB winning in the SW or SS christian middle belt is not realistic neither is Atiku.

Jonathan winning is actually realistic. He may not be the best in naija but hes better than everyone in PDP who showed interest in the 2011 election.

It might change in the future but for right NOW - I see him winning 2011.

As a proud Yoruba man I would be personally ashamed of my region if we are endorsing a man who is yet to declare an ambition to run for office. Seeing that , as usual, it is loathed criminals from the SW region endorsing Jonathan makes me feel good because I know that these self-serving fools are the voice of criminality , corruption and underdevelopment rather than genuine and respected representatives of what Yoruba people want.

These PDP thugs have done nothing but destroy the SW region. The Yorubas want to see the back of them . This is why they voted massively against the PDP in Ekiti recently only for the likes of Jonathan , with Yar Adua's backing , to participate in the rigging show of shame we all witnessed. Jonathan is naive and his fans are even more naive if they think , because of assistance from highly loathed PDP Governors and a despised Godfather (OBJ) who has supplanted thuggish misrulers everywhere , Jonathan can "sweep" a region that has been totally devastated by the PDP in free and fair elections .