By DANIEL IDONOR, HENRY UMORU & DAPO AKINREFON
ABUJA – PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, began nationwide consultation with various interest groups with a view to hitting the ground running as soon as he is sworn-in.

In the dialogue which came after the President’s campaign tour of 36 states of the federation, Jonathan met with the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, which had thrown its weight behind his ambition.

The President had earlier met with motorcycle riders, popularly known as Okada, under the aegis of Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria, ACOMORAN, which endorsed his candidature.

At the interactive meeting of its executives from across the country with the President in Lagos, ACOMORAN President, Alhaji Babangida Shehu, said the endorsement came with massive support and mobilization of its eight million members and their dependants across the country.

Symbol of humility

Shehu said: “We must thank you for being a symbol of humility for Nigerian youths. Humility is one of your greatest gifts to all Nigerians, young or old; that in spite of the power you wield you are still humble, is a big lesson for all.”

At yesterday’s interactive session at the Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, the National Chairman of NURTW, Alhaji Nojeem Usman, said the endorsement was to reciprocate the gesture of the President, Vice President Namadi Sambo and their wives to the Union, so far.

Noting that Dr. Jonathan was the first President to have staged such a far reaching interactive session with the Union, he lauded Jonathan for his recognition of the Union.

Usman who said that yesterday’s meeting was the third he has had with the President and the first any President has had with the Union, he said: “By this gesture, we will ensure that you are sworn in as President come May 29, 2011.

“Your continuation in office from May this year will bring the much needed prosperity to Nigeria. So we are set to mobilise all our members to ensure that this task is achieved.”

President Jonathan said the meeting was part of his deliberate attempts to undertake wide ranging consultations with various critical segments of the society; noting that the NURTW was a very important group to the socio-economic well-being of Nigerians.

Meanwhile, President Democratic Party, PDP, President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, read out a riot act to fellow presidential contenders warning against instigation of violence through religious and ethnic bigotry on the campaign field.

Describing those calling for violence as frustrated Nigerians, the President said that his campaign would not be a do or die affair as he affirmed that his destiny has always been in the hands of God.

The president’s campaign against violence was immediately tackled by the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation which castigated the PDP as the instigator of violence through its efforts at undermining democracy.

Meanwhile, the Buhari campaign organisation has denied claims of a health scare around the 68 year old presidential candidate.

Buhari who was on campaign in Lafia, Nasarawa State, yesterday, was holed up in his Ta’al Hotel room for most of the day.

His inability to come out for the scheduled rally after he arrived the town around 1 p.m. fueled speculations that he had taken ill.

The speculations were, however, immediately dismissed by the Buhari Campaign Organisation which traced the candidate’s failure to appear for the rally to the massive crowd that besieged him and restricted his movement forcing him to address the crowd from his hotel.

President Jonathan conveyed his warning against violence at a meeting with leaders of Igbo communities from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory at Rockview Hotel, Abuja.

He said the meeting was imperative for him ahead of the elections because Ndigbo constitute up to 30 per cent of the population in the Northern States.

The president said: “There are some candidates who, out of frustration, are calling for violence. Being a  presidential candidate does not give you the licence to call for violence.”

Represented at the town hall meeting with the executive members of the Igbo Delegate Assembly (IDA) by the Minister of Niger Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe, the President said that his chances at the election will be further boosted if the entire Igbo people in the North and other parts of the country cast their votes for him.

The meeting with the Igbos from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory was organized by the Neighbour to Neighbour Campaign Group for President Jonathan.

President Jonathan who said he has decided to build his presidential ambition around love after realising that the state of stagnation of the country was as a result of absence of love, added that all presidential candidates should direct their campaigns in a manner that will promote love, togetherness and understanding among Nigerians.

He said: “Love has been missing for long in Nigeria and that is the reason the country had attained little progress. It is sad the more when some presidential candidates decide to base their campaigns on religion, ethnicism and violence. It is frustration that has been making such candidates to call for violence.”

Also  present at the forum were Senator Tunde Ogbeha,  the Director of Research PDP Campaign Council, Mike Omeri and Coordinator, Door to Door Campaign for Jonathan/Sambo, Stella Oguanwonyi.

Reacting to the admonishment of the President, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, spokesman to the Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari said: “The ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has been the one perpetrating violence in Nigeria. They are the ones that have been talking of do-or-die politics, they have been talking of die-hard politics in Nigeria.”

On speculations that Buhari had taken ill and was unable to address the scheduled rally, he said:  “Alhaji Buhari actually addressed the mammoth crowd at Ta’al hotel. The crowd was too much that he had to address them there. Actually, there was no way he could have maneouvered his way out of the hotel to the venue of the rally. But, our presidential candidate is in good health.”