11th March, 2015
Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
As the general elections draw nearer, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan is driving up his re-election campaign across the southwest region of the country.
Jonathan, according to a presidential source will be in Ogun on a two-day meeting with party leaders and also with the former governor and chieftain of the Social Democratic Party, Chief Olusegun Osoba.
It was reliably gathered that serious scheming is going underneath on how the PDP will win the southwest, especially, Ogun state to spite former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
Our correspondent reliably reported that the President will today meet with some monarchs in Abeokuta, which according to the source, is in continuation of the meeting he had with the monarchs penultimate Friday after the commissioning of the second phase of the Olorunsogo power plant in Ogun.
President Jonathan will also be in Ijebu Ode tomorrow to meet with the Awujale and Paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona,Ogbagba II at his palace.
A palace source confirmed this to our correspondent on phone early this morning that preparation towards the hosting of the President and his entourage are in top gear in the palace.
The Presidential source told our correspondent that part of the meeting the President will be holding in Ogun is on how to convince the SDP leadership to step down their governorship candidate for a merger with the PDP,so as to be able to win the State in the April 11,2015 governorship election.
It was gathered that the talk had been on between the President and Chief Olusegun Osoba before today,he will be coming to finalise the issue with him and other leaders of the party.
It would be recollected also that the Social Democratic Party, SDP has endorsed the President, Jonathan as their Presidential candidate in the coming Presidential election on 28 March,2015.
According to the source, “the president is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that he captures Ogun state and the southwest at large.
“I can confirm to you that the president is not comfortable with the stand of the former President. We know that Baba Obasanjo is strongly canvassing and campaigning for the APC and with his strength and charisma, if we don’t move faster, he may turn the table against us.
“Oga will be meeting with some royal fathers in Ogun. First with the Obas in Egba then later today and by Thursday, we will be at Ijebu Ode to meet with Awujale and other rulers from the Ijebu axis.
“The President will also be meeting with Chief Osoba in Abeokuta today. He wants to see how his party, SDP would merge with the PDP to ensure a straight victory for the party in the coming elections. Whatever is going to cost us, we are going to capture Ogun state and by extension, the southwest region. You can agree with me that after the North West region, it is our region here, the southwest, that is next in population and we are battle ready to capture the region.
“President Jonathan understands the power and respect the monarchs in this territories and we have resolved to win more votes through this. Royal blessings will be given and that will also add more to our victory, that I’m sure of.
“The frontier team have arrived the state since Sunday and they have been working seriously to ensure that where we need crowd, they are available. You know that one of our leaders, Chief Edwin Clark was in town on Monday and he was in Abeokuta and Ijebu Igbo. The visit has a purpose and is part of our plans and strategies.
“I want to let you know that President Jonathan is the best for the job now, he has everything it takes to move this country forward and he’ll continue with his transformation agenda and not necessarily the archaic change the opposition is clamouring for.
“I want to inform you that our party, PDP will win the governorship, the three senatorial tickets and the nine representatives tickets in the state. The tsunami has arrived to sweep out Amosun with his unfriendly policies and programmes. For any doubting Thomas, the way the APC won in 2011, is the same way we will reclaim our mandate back from them,” the source revealed.
When our correspondent contacted the former governor and the chieftain of SDP, Aremo Olusegun Osoba on phone to react to the issue, his line was not going.
But speaking with PM News, another chieftain of SDP, the Senator representing Ogun East at the upper house now and the candidate for the party in the March 28, 2015 national assemblies elections, Senator Adegbenga Kaka confirmed that the President will be at Ijebu Ode tomorrow to meet with Awujale.
The Ijebu Igbo born former deputy governor however declared that such discussion never existed between his party and the PDP, noting that, if such would happen, their candidate (PDP) will rather step down for the SDP governorship candidate and not other way round.
“I was never privy to such meeting and as a leader of the party, I am not sure such thing is happening. How on earth will such a thing happen. It can never happened and if such will happen,how will our candidate be asked to step down for PDP governorship candidate? It’s not happening and will never happen.
“But I can confirm to you that President Goodluck Jonathan will be in Ijebu Ode on Thursday and as the Senator representing the area,I will be around to welcome him.
“As we are speaking, I’m just arriving from Abuja to join our governorship candidate, Senator Akin Odunsi on Wednesday at Ikenne and on Thursday, I will be at the Awujale’s palace to welcome the President.
“Our governorship candidate and other candidates are still in the race. You can see by yourself, the way they have been receiving us in everywhere we have been to. You will see how the elections will go, it is ours and there is no going back.
“I thank you for your objectivity and unbiased reporting concerning our party in the state, I hope others will emulate you. We are not joining or dropping for anybody,” Kaka submitted.