President Goodluck Jonathan last night met with the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos in his bid for votes from the nation’s commercial capital. The state has the highest number of voters.

Sources said among the people he met with were Chief Olabode George, who has just completed a jail term for contract splitting at the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) and the governorship candidate of the party in the state Dr. Ade Dosunmu. Other leaders of the party were also at the meeting.

The President came direct from Benin Republic where he went on a visit at the weekend. He was accompanied to the meeting by his Chief of Staff Mike Ogiadomhe.

Sources said the President is worried that the Lagos state PDP governorship candidate has not been receiving the full support and cooperation from the generality of the members of the party. The party is split along various groups.

The dominant group –the establishment- is led by George while 2007 governorship candidate and Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Ghana Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro is heading the Solidarity Group. The Mandate group is led by Former Works Minister Adeseye Ogunlewe. There are also smaller groups.

The President according to sources has been trying to rally the party behind Dosunmu so that the party will not go into the election deeply divided.

It was gathered that settling the crisis in Ogun State also topped the agenda as embattled Governor Gbenga Daniel was said to be at the meeting. Governor Daniel’s men who lost the PDP battle in the state in court, to President Olusegun Obasanjo faction, have moved to little known Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN).

The President is believed to be ready to stay till Tuesday in Lagos to be able to sort out the problems in the southwest including Oyo State where the party is also bitterly divided. Many party members have vowed to work against the candidacy of Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala.