President Jonathanand Gov Akala

By Emma Amaize, Dayo Benson & Emeka Mamah
LAGOS—AHEAD of President Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration of his intention to contest 2011 presidential election on Saturday, his South-West Campaign Co-ordinator, Governor Gbenga Daniel, yesterday, kicked off Jonathan’s campaign in the zone by meeting with fellow governors and Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.

With the kick-off of Jonathan’s campaign in the South West region, former Federal Minister of Information and renowned Niger-Delta leader, Chief Edwin Clark has said the President cannot be intimidated by any person or group to drop the call to contest the 2011 presidential election.

This came even as Jonathan’s Special Adviser, Special Duties, Senator Isaiah Balat, said that  nobody can stop the President from emerging victorious at the forthcoming presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The kick off of Jonathan’s campaign in the South West which was meant to intimate political leaders in the region of President Jonathan’s ambition came even as his six zonal campaign co-ordinators are expected to meet tomorrow in Abuja to map out strategies.

Other state governors appointed with Governor Daniel last week, were Governors Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State, Gabriel Suswam of Benue State, Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State and Lyel Imoke of Cross River State.

Vanguard was informed that Governor Daniel’s first port of call, yesterday, was the Ogbomoso residence of Governor Adebayo Alao Akala of Oyo State where he met with Akala and some prominent political figures on the need to rally support for President Jonathan preparatory to his Saturday declaration.

Jonathan’s campaign project

After meeting with Governor Akala and others, Governor Daniel was said to have proceeded to the palace of Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, to receive royal blessings and also brief him on the Jonathan campaign project.

A source said the Ogun State governor then headed to Osogbo Government House where he had a similar parley with Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola on South West’s preparations for Jonathan’s declaration and campaigns.

The source said: “It is all about ensuring a hitch-free declaration by the President and to also effectively mobilise the South West for Jonathan. Such consultations and meetings will be stepped up after the declaration. But I can assure you that the campaign for Jonathan has started in the South west.

He added that “appointing governors as his campaign co-ordinators in the zone was a deft political move by the President because he knows the powers governors exercise over delegates during party primaries.”

At the flag-off and inauguration of South_South for Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organization, weekend, Chief Clark  Chief Clark who was represented by a member of the national planning committee of the campaign organization, Mr. Ebi Brisibe, called on ethnic groups in the country, to support and vote President Jonathan in the 2011 elections.

He said the amnesty granted militants by the Federal Government was not a fluke and urged ex-militants to be patient, as government would fulfill its promises to them.

Facilitator of the Niger-Delta Democratic Union, NDDU, Dr. Akpo Mudiaga-Odje, who was guest speaker at the occasion, contended that application of bizarre political compromises like zoning and rotation in the forthcoming elections by political parties were undemocratic.

South South leaders hold rally at Uyo

Meantime, leaders of the South-South are holding a solidarity rally today, in Uyo, for the President Jonathan/Vice President Namadi Sambo ticket.

In his lecture, entitled, “Zoning, Niger-Delta and Electoral Reforms,” Dr. Mudiaga-Odje  faulted the reversal of order of elections in the 2010 Electoral Act, saying the unspoken motive behind it, was to checkmate the powers and influence of Governors over Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Mudiaga-Odje admitted that certain aspects of the amended 2010 Electoral Act could be applauded as reformist enough, adding that Section 31(1), which provides that notice of election must be issued 150 days before an election had already been breached, as the Independent Electoral Commission ought to have issued a notice for the January 8, 2011 election by August, 2010.

He noted that whereas, Section 10(5) provides that voters registration, updating and revision of voters ‘ register must end 120 days before an election, that is September 9, barely two weeks from now, the indications on ground make the feat unrealizable.

Meanwhile, the President’s Special Adviser on Special duties, Senator Isaiah Balat, has said that Jonathan’s expected victory in the general elections would demystify “the misleading impression that Jonathan may not win without the support of the North.”

Balat who spoke in an interview in Kaduna, weekend, said: “The President is not afraid of any of the other aspirants. We are ready to face anyone in the primaries. We are not scared. Whoever has agenda, let him bring them out and we will put it pari pasu on the table and move on. It is my belief that Jonathan will carry the day.

“President Jonathan has gone far in his consultations and he will officially declare his intention to offer himself to his party, the PDP, for nomination to contest the Presidential election come January 2011. We believe that we have enough support for Jonathan to pick the ticket.

“We are not going to tell anybody not to run. However, if we are not saying that people should not run, they should also not ask Jonathan not to run. Allow him to run and we go for the convention and at the end of the day, we see who would win. The man with a better programme should carry the day and we believe that we are presenting a better candidate who has something to show.”