The presidential aspiration of homeboy, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babanida yesterday, in Minna, suffered a severe setback as the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in his home state, Niger threw its weight behind the presidential ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Chairman of the party in the state, Alhaji Abdulrahman Enagi during a meeting with the campaign co-ordinators of the Jonathan Campaign Organization, in Minna said the president had won the hearts of the people with the signing of the bill on the Hydro-Electric Power Producing Area Development Commission (HYPPADEC) into law.
Amidst shouts of ‘Nigeria sai Jonathan,’ Enagi assured that the party in Niger State would support the Jonathan/Sambo ticket in the PDP primaries.   

Earlier during a courtesy call, the Niger State Governor Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu who was represented by his Deputy, Ahmed Musa Ibeto said the state was not rigid in its support for any presidential aspirant. He pointed out that the party, in Niger State will give its support to anybody ready to support the developmental aspiration of the state.

According to Ibeto, anybody who could dualise the Abuja-Minna Road, rehabilitate the federal roads in the state and solve the problem of electricity would have the support of the party. He thanked the Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organization for the courtesy call bearing in mind that the state had a candidate and that it was not a do-or-die affair.

Ibeto added that any aspirant who eventually emerged would need the general cooperation of others for the general elections and after the election for the development of the country and to lead a united country.
The Deputy Governor said he prayed the Peoples democratic Party would come out more united than it was after the primaries, adding that the challenges before the country were too enormous.

The Director General of President Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organization, Dr. Dalhatu Sarki Tafida stated that it was payback time for the people of the North to reciprocate the kind gesture of the people of the South-south. He added that in the past, the people of the South - south had always supported the North to achieve their political ambitions.

“People will wonder why we are supporting President Goodluck Jonathan despite that he is not from the North. But for me, I think it is pay back for the South-south people who have always supported the North to achieve its political ambitions which in many cases was not able to meet up with the required majority.”
“The people of the South-South have always supported us even before they ever dreamt that they will ever come looking for any position. So, I think this is the time to show them that we have been grateful for what they have done for us in the past,” Dalhatu said.

The Director General of the Goodluck/Sambo campaign organization who made this known yesterday in Minna when they paid a courtesy visit to the Niger state Governor Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu wondered what is in four years in the history of Nigeria ’s history that the North cannot give to Jonathan to make Nigeria better.

“This man who has been climbing the ladder gently and God has given him the opportunity said he wants to come back and make Nigeria better for just four years. What is even four years in the political history of Nigeria that the North cannot give to Goodluck to make Nigeria better”?
Dalhatu who accepted that the campaign organization is aware that Former Military President General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida who is an indigene of the state said they respect and admire the way the Former president ran the country but added that President Goodluck will make a good president if given the next four years.

“We are aware that you also have an aspirant for the position of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria here whom we respect “so much as our leader and we will pay him a courtesy visit now if he is in the town and is he is willing to receive us because as much as possible we want to ensure that we practice politics without bitterness”.
“Goodluck will make a good president, though there might be little bit of problems here and there,  just watch him and see what he will do in the next four years”.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/oct/20/national-20-10-2010-002.htm