17th September, 2014
Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa state was absent as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum on Wednesday endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan as sole candidate of the party ahead of its 6 December presidential primaries for 2015 general elections.
Lamido, a presidential aspirant, was represented by his deputy as the governors reached the decision to back Jonathan for a second term in office. The agreement was part of decisions reached at the forum’s meeting in Abuja ahead of the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting slated for 18 September.
Chairman of the forum and Governor of Akwa Ibom, Chief Godswill Akpabio, announced the decision at the end of its three hours meeting.
The party’s NEC is expected to adopt the resolution of the governors at the meeting. “The PDP governors’ forum hereby endorses President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term in office and resolved to support his bid for re-election come 2015.
“We urge all PDP faithful to support this gesture which should enable the president to become the sole candidate of the PDP come 2015,” he said.
He commended efforts of the Armed Forces in fighting insurgency in the North East and urged Nigerians and the international community to continue to cooperate with the Federal Government.
This, according to him, is critical to stamp out terrorism in the country.
On the Ebola virus outbreak in the country, the governors commended the success recorded by the ministries of health nationwide.
The forum thanked Nigerians for rallying round the leadership of the country and appealed to people to sustain such efforts.
The forum applauded the decision of the PDP candidate, Sen. Iyiola Omisore, at the recent Osun governorship election and all PDP faithful who had chosen to pursue their rights through the law courts.
It also commended PDP faithful in Adamawa for the peaceful conduct of the state primaries ahead of the 11 October governorship election.
It congratulated the state acting Governor, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri, for emerging as the party`s candidate at the primaries and urged Adamawa people to give him their mandate at the election.
The governors of Enugu, Delta, Plateau, Adamawa, Sokoto deputy, Jigawa deputy, Abia, Taraba, Gombe, Bayelsa, kogi, Kaduna, Kebbi, Niger, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Benue states were present at the meeting.