Days after the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole candidate for the 2015 presidential election, a new twist to his possible vice presidential candidate has been introduced. While what appeared reprieve came the way of Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo yesterday as the party officially confirmed him as President Jonathan’s running mate for 2015.
Posters pairing the president with the national chairman, Dr Adamu Mu’azu also yesterday surfaced in strategic areas of the capital city, Abuja.
Regardless of the Jonathan/Mu’azu posters, however, the PDP has insisted that the current vice president was part of the winning team and had the confidence of President Jonathan to carry on with him as one presidency.
There had been musings in political circles that Sambo’s job was under threat, following covert moves by some influential northern powerbrokers within the party to displace Sambo. No less than three northern governors have been linked with the pressure being put on President Jonathan to drop his deputy as running mate for the 2015 presidential election.
The Mu’azu twist is the latest move made in this bid. The inability of last Thursday’s PDP NEC meeting to expressly state the status of the vice president had heightened speculation that Sambo’s job was still under threat. But Mu’azu has dismissed the posters, saying mischief makers were behind them.
The PDP, in a statement issued yesterday said Sambo remained part of the position it had taken on the president. The ruling party said the Presidency was one. The statement, signed by the party’s national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, aside describing Sambo as part of the party’s winning team ahead of the 2015 election expressed confidence in the vice president.
The statement read, “There is no doubt whatsoever that the Vice President has the implicit confidence of the President. The PDP is therefore very pleased that they are working together in actualising the transformation agenda to the popular acclaim of both Nigerians and the international community. “We wish to place on record as well that the 66th NEC meeting of our great party, which endorsed President Jonathan as the sole candidate of the PDP for the 2015 general elections, responsibly reasoned and anchored this decision on the outstanding performance of the Jonathan Presidency, of which Vice President Sambo is an integral part. “This motion, which was unanimously endorsed by NEC, left no room for any form of speculation, as Senator Jim Nwobodo who seconded it expressly commended both the President and his Vice for lifting the banner of the PDP very high, while praying the NEC to approve the motion.”
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