PDP NEC, BoT, others endorse Jonathan as sole presidential candidate

The decision of NEC which is the second highest decision-making organ of the party and that of BoT is expected to be ratified at the National Convention of the party slated forDecember 6.

Motion for the adoption of Jonathan as the party’s sole standard bearer was moved by Bello Haliru, a former acting national chairman of the party, seconded by former governor of old Anambra State, Jim Nwobodo.

First to open the floodgate of endorsements at the 66th NEC meeting which held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja was Babangida Aliyu, Niger State governor, who thereafter called on Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, to stand up and affirm his support for the president in next year’s poll which he did and gave him Jonathan thumbs up.

Consequently, the Jigawa State governor received a standing ovation from members.

Prior to Thursday’s development, Lamido was widely reported to be nursing presidential ambition on PDP’s platform with the full backing of former President Olusegun Obasanjo who was conspicuously absent at the meeting.

Speaking on behalf of the Board of Trustees (BoT), elder statesman, Shuaibu Oyedokun; Senate President David Mark, who spoke for members of the PDP caucus of the National Assembly and Justina Eze, who spoke on behalf of PDP women, affirmed that President Jonathan has performed tremendously well, adding that “you cannot change a winning team.”

Mark said: “We have met the PDP caucus of the National Assembly. What we are announcing here today (Thursday) is not for Dr. Jonathan, it is not just for those of us who are in NEC here, it is a legacy we believe that we want to leave for PDP, a legacy that will outlive all of us who are here because if there is a sitting president who is a performing president, it is our very sincere belief that he should be given a chance to do even better”.