2015: Jonathan schemes for S’West votes

President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party are
eyeing votes from the South-West to ensure the victory of the party at
the first ballot during the 2015 presidential poll, investigations
have revealed.
Our source reliably gathered that the President and his party feared
that winning the North-West and the North-East might be impossible
during the presidential election.
It was learnt that they had become jittery because of the realisation
that losing the South-West might cost them the presidential election.
The party has, therefore, mandated members of the party from the zone
holding public offices to ensure the victory of the President.
Our source also learnt that members from the North-West and the
North-East in public offices had also been told to ensure that the
President scored at least 25 per cent in the zones.
It was gathered that the performance Jonathan got from a constituency
or a state would be one of the criteria for reappointing those
currently holding public offices at the national level.
Investigations revealed that the party reasoned that if the President
defeated the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate in the
South-West and scored 25 per cent in the North-West and North-East,
the second election would not be avoided.
According to Section 134 (1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, "A
candidate for an election to the office of President shall be deemed
to have been duly elected, where, there being only two candidates for
the election -
(a) He has the majority of votes cast at the election; and
(b) He has not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election
in each of at least two-thirds of all the States in the Federation and
the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
(2) A candidate for an election to the office of President shall be
deemed to have been duly elected where, there being more than two
candidates for the election-
(a) He has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and
(b) He has not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election
each of at least two-thirds of all the States in the Federation and
the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
(3) In a default of a candidate duly elected in accordance with
subsection (2) of this section their shall be a second election in
accordance with subsection (4) of this section at which the only
candidate shall be – (a) the candidate who scored the highest number
of votes at any election held in accordance with the said subsection
(2) of this section; and (b) One among the remaining candidates who
has a majority of votes in the highest number of States, so however
that where there are more than one candidate with majority of votes in
the highest number of States, the candidate among them with the
highest total of votes cast at the election shall be the second
candidate for the election.
(4) In default of a candidate duly elected under the foregoing
subsections, the Independent National Electoral Commission shall
within seven days of the result of the election held under the said
subsections, arrange for an election between the two candidates and a
candidate at such election shall be deemed elected to the office of
President if (a) He has a majority of votes cast at the election; and
(b) He has not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election
in each of at least two-thirds of all the States in the Federation and
the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
(5) In default of a candidate duly elected under subsection (4) of
this section, the Independent National Electoral Commission shall,
within seven days of the result of the election held under the
aforesaid subsection (4), arrange for another election between the two
candidates to which the subsection relates and a candidate at such
election shall be deemed to have been duly elected to the office of
President, if he has a majority of the votes cast at the election."
Our source gathered that the President and his party were jittery on
realising that failure to win South-West would be costly for Jonathan.
It was learnt that chieftains of the party in the zone, including the
Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko and his Ekiti State
counterpart, Mr. Ayo Fayose, have been given the assignment of
ensuring Jonathan's landside victory in the South-West.
A chieftain of the party, who spoke to one of our correspondents on
condition of anonymity, said, "In the next few weeks, the party will
mobilise resources in the South-West. We want the President to not
only win the South-West, but to prevent the APC from getting 25 per
cent in the zone.
"We will mobilise resources; call it stomach infrastructure or
anything you like. The President will trounce the APC in the
South-West."
Also a Presidency source and a governor from the party, who spoke with
one of our correspondents in separate interviews in Abuja on Thursday,
gave an insight into the feelings of the President and the PDP on
Northern votes.
The Presidency source said, "The situation is dicey for the President
and the party in North-West. You remember that even in 2011 when the
situation was not as bad as it is today, the President did not really
win in the zone.
"Now that almost all the states in the area are in the hands of the
opposition, we may not make it there, but we will rely on the
government appointees from the area to work out how we are going to
win."
But the Presidency has said that Jonathan is not losing sleep over
South-West, North-West and North-East votes.
The Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Prof. Rufai
Alkali, in an exclusive interview with our source, explained that
Jonathan and the PDP valued Nigerian citizens.
He noted that the opposition would have wished that the crowd which
took part in the President's declaration did not show up.
According to him, the whole world saw Nigerians who, irrespective of
their religious or political affiliation, trooped to Eagle Square to
honour the President.
Alkali, however, described as false, attempts to "misinform" Nigerians
about the popularity rating of the President.
He explained that all through Nigeria's political history, voters
especially in the North, had exhibited a diverse voting pattern and
have always cast their lot where they felt their collective interests
would be better served.
The Presidential aide said "President Jonathan's appeal transcends
ethno-religious sentiments.
"Nigerians will vote for him based on his record of performance. Can
his opponents say the roads that have been built under this
administration were not built? Can they say the airports are not
there? Let our campaigns be issue-based.
"It will be unfair for anyone to say that the President is not doing
anything about the sad situation in the North-East. The people know he
cares and he is doing his best and by the grace of God, that situation
will soon be contained.
"Let me ask you, between the President and his opponents in the other
party, who was the first to go public with their declarations."
In response, National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives
Congress, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said, "The truth of the matter is that
the PDP is scared stiff of the APC.
"Even today, without a candidate the APC is ahead in credible opinion
polls, President Goodluck Jonathan's popularity has suffered a
reversal of fortune since after the President's declaration.
"They underestimated the backlash from the insensitivity of the timing
of Jonathan's declaration less than 24 hours after the massacre of
about seventy children in Potiskum."
Experts have also said that the President might become more troubled
if the Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, joins
the presidential race.
Already, there are indications that the APC National Leader, Asiwaju
Bola Tinubu and other leaders of the party might have concluded the
deal to field the Speaker as a "neutral candidate" following the
inability of the North to reach a consensus on the party's
presidential aspirant.
A former President, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; former Vice-President
Atiku Abubakar, Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and a Leadership
Newspaper Publisher, Sam Nda-Isaiah are competing for the APC
presidential ticket.
Tambuwal, who is rumoured to preparing to join the presidential race
on the platform of the opposition party, has recently dumped the
ruling PDP.
The APC had said that the hope for the emergence of a Northern
consensus presidential candidate for the APC had dimmed following
failure by leaders of the party from the region to broker a deal on
Tuesday night.
With the current APC presidential aspirants failing to step down for a
consensus candidate, sources said Tambuwal might be brought in as a
compromise candidate and this is expected to send jitters down the
spine of the President.

Credit>punch