[size=14pt]Nigeria ruling party governors back Jonathan in polls[/size]
Thu Dec 16, 2010 7:46pm GMT 

ABUJA (Reuters) - Twenty of Nigeria's powerful state governors said Thursday they would support President Goodluck Jonathan as the ruling party candidate in elections next April, giving him a boost ahead of a tough battle in the primaries.
The governors from the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) said in a joint statement after an emergency meeting in the capital Abuja that they would support Jonathan's candidacy for one four-year term of office.

"Our constitution entitles our president to run for a second term, which the PDP governors support," said Ibrahim Shema, governor of the northern state of Katsina, reading from the statement co-signed by 19 of his colleagues.

. . .

The governors form an influential caucus in the PDP and their support is seen as key to Jonathan's chances of success.

http://af.reuters.com/article/nigeriaNews/idAFLDE6BF28720101216

20 PDP governors endorse Jonathan* It's of no significance, says Atiku



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Abuja (WorldStage Newsonline)-- Twenty governors of the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) have endorsed President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to contest the 2011 election as the party's presidential candidate.

Governor Shehu Shema of Katsina State read the communiqué issued at the end of the emergency meeting of the governors on Thursday.

According to the communique: “At the emergency meeting of PDP governors held Thursday 16th day of December, 2010 and having deliberated extensively on democratic practices the world over

observed as follows: Democratic system all over the world recognize the principle of incumbency and

continuity.

“Entrenched democratic culture persistent in presidential system and our constitution entitles our President to run for a send term which the PDP governors support.

“The governors also recognize the Yar’Adua/Jonathan ticket and therefore hereby support and endorse President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to contest the 2011 election as the PDP presidential candidate for a period of four years only.”

The 20 governors signed the communique include; Kogi, Niger, Akwa Ibom, Nasarawa, Bayelsa, Benue, Rivers, Cross River, Kaduna, Ogun, Bauchi, Katsina, Imo, Adamawa, Kebbi, Oyo, Zamfara, Plateau, Gombe, Taraba.

In a quick reaction to the decision, the spokesman of Atiku campaign organization, Garba Shehu said “The so called governors’ endorsement is of no significance so long as they do not take away the right of delegates to vote. We are in a democracy. Governors have a right to make a democratic choice and so do the delegates. Let there be no intimidation of delegates.”

Whats the implication of Isa Yuguda endorsing Jonathan? Thats one guaranteed delegate from Bauchi.
But as about 20 members of Bauchi House has declared their support for a Northern candidate' Isa Yuguda's endorsement is of no consequence.

The endorsement by Ohakim is only worth the papeer it is writen because the dumping of Jonathan in the SouthEast will begin from Imo State.

Does this communique really believe the Niger State Governor will support Jonathan? Do they really believeJonathan will get more delegates than Atiku in Niger, Kogi, Adamawa, Zamfara, Kebbi, Taraba?

Some people definitely live in disneyland.

BUJA, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Twenty of Nigeria's powerful state governors said on Thursday they would support President Goodluck Jonathan as the ruling party candidate in elections next April, giving him a boost ahead of a tough battle in the primaries.

History has always favoured the incumbent in Nigerian elections but Jonathan's bid is controversial because of a ruling party pact that power should rotate between the mostly Muslim north and largely Christian south every two terms.

Jonathan is a southerner who inherited office when President Umaru Yar'Adua, a northerner, died during his first term this year and some northern factions in the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) are opposed to his candidacy.

There are 26 state governors in the PDP, forming an influential caucus whose support is seen as key to Jonathan's chances of success. The remaining 10 states are opposition held.

"Democratic systems all over the world recognise the principle of incumbency and continuity," said Ibrahim Shema, governor of the northern state of Katsina, following an emergency meeting of PDP governors in the capital Abuja.

"The governors , hereby support and endorse President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to contest the 2011 election as the PDP presidential candidate for a period of four years only," Shema said, reading from a statement signed by the 20 governors.

Africa's most populous nation is a generally peaceful country of more than 200 ethnic groups, but regional rivalries and tribalism bubble not far under the surface.

A commitment from Jonathan to stand for one term then hand over to a northerner might appease some in the north, but it could also anger some southern factions who had bet on the rotation agreement giving them a shot at the presidency in 2015.

Jonathan is the first head of state from the restive Niger Delta, the heartland of Africa's biggest oil and gas industry, and security analysts fear a backlash if he is perceived to have been cheated out of the country's highest office.

HEATED RHETORIC

The PDP controls more than two thirds of Nigeria's 36 states and has a majority in both houses of parliament. Its candidate has won every presidential race since the end of military rule just over a decade ago, meaning victory in the primaries has always been tantamount to winning the presidency.

But this time the race is wide open.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was chosen by a group of northern politicians as a consensus candidate to challenge Jonathan at the PDP primaries, due in early January.

Former military ruler Ibrahim Babangida, another influential ruling party figure, threatened last week to quit the PDP if Jonathan runs on its ticket.

The rhetoric has already become heated.

"Those who make peaceful change impossible, make violent change inevitable," Atiku was quoted as saying by Nigerian newspapers on Thursday, comments which Jonathan's camp condemned as treasonable.

"Any office you are aspiring to in this land , is not worth the blood of any Nigerians," Jonathan told the PDP meeting.

"We cannot play politics as if we are fighting a civil war."

Nigeria's secret service weighed into the debate, warning "unguarded statements" were fuelling sectarian hatred and that it would take action against any politician whose words risked "undermining and subverting the stability of the nation".

Christians, Muslims and animists from a patchwork of ethnic groups live peacefully side by side in most Nigerian cities.

But hundreds of people died in religious and ethnic clashes at the start of the year in the central Middle Belt and there are fears politicians could try to stoke such rivalries as the elections approach.

The tensions are rooted in decades of resentment between indigenous groups, mostly Christian or animist, who are vying for control of fertile farmlands and for economic and political power with mostly Muslim migrants and settlers from the north.

congratulations on exchanging 490 votes in the south east for the 20 votes you'll get from the governors. if my maths serves me correctly that little deal just put you guys down another 470.

WAY TO GO TEAM GEJ!!!

ANYONE THAT THINKS THAT THIS ENDORSEMENT IS TRUE THAT PERSON NEEDS to check his brains, kebbi.katsina support GEJ, its now i know that GEJ has lost, even OBJ that was very domineering didnt get this endorsement, GEJ has lost this one, and if he really thinks he has gotten their support then he is a BIG FOOL. I SERVED IN THE NORTH NO HAUSA MAN IN THE CORE NORTH WILL VOTE GEJ. IF YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE NORTH YOU WILL KNOW WAT AM SAYING BUHARI MIGHT WIN THIS ELECTION.