Northwest PDP leaders endorse Jonathan for 2015

•Lamido, Shema absent
•Jonathan/Shema poster floods venue
Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Northwest geo-political zone yesterday endorsed the candidacy of President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 election.
They affirmed their support at a meeting attended by Vice President Namadi Sambo in Kaduna.
Party Chairman Adamu Mu’azu, National Organising Secretary Abubakar Mustapha, Zonal Chairman Amb. Adamu Kazaure, Senator Magoro and Sokoto State Deputy Governor Mukhtar Shagari, all attended the meeting.
The Northwest comprising seven states Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna and Jigawa states has the largest population of voters among the six geo-political zones.
Yesterday’s meeting is believed to be the zone’s response to the ongoing activities orchestrated around President Jonathan’s undisguised but yet to declared bid for re-election.
The PDP through the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Transformation Ambassador of Nigeria (TAN) has been holding rallies in geo-political zones in support of the President’s candidature.
The rallies have been held in the Southeast, Southwest and Southsouth zones.
Governors in the Northwest zone attended are ex-Capt. Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Ibrahim Shema (Katsina).
House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal also did not attaend.
Though absent, posters of Jonathan/Shema for President/Vice President in 2015 flooded the venue, leading speculation to the rumour that some forces within the party were rooting for dropping of Sambo from the ticket.
Speaking on behalf of the governors from the zone, Kebbi State Governor Usman Dankingari, the governors would ensure that they deliver the zone which he described as the most sophisticated ad most populous in terms of voting size in the country to President Jonathan.
National Chairman Mu’azu said the party which is as “constant as the northern star”, remain a party to beat and urged members in the zone to remain united so as to deliver the zone in 2015.
A communique issued at the end of the meeting read by Ambassador Aminu Wali, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the president had done a lot to deserve a second term.
He said the region would remain grateful to the Jonathan administration, especially in terms of infrastructural upliftment, good governance and the promotion of democracy.
“Several beneficial projects have been sited in the northwest for the rapid socio-economic transformation of the region.”
The communiqué added: “Having carefully considered the steady and stable progress of our nation under the able leadership of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, the stakeholders of the PDP in the northwest zone, having in mind the monumental strides attained by this administration, have resolved to endorse Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to declare for president in the forthcoming 2015 elections so as to continue the good work he started in nation building. We ask for nothing less.
“Consequently, we respectfully call on the National  Chairman of our party to convey this resolution and unanimous declaration of the entire leadership and membership of the PDP in the Northwest zone to His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to surrender  himself for the continued service to the nation.”