Indications from Abuja have pointed to the possibility of President Goodluck Jonathan declaring his interest in seeking a re-election in September. The president appears to have favoured the ninth month, for it was in the same month he declared his interest in the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2010.But his foot soldiers, individuals and groups sympathetic to his second term are not waiting that long to begin the task of preaching the achievements of the president to Nigerians and enlisting them for the February 14, 2015 presidential election.One of such groups is the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), a non-governmental support group committed to the re-election of Jonathan. TAN is currently organising a country-wide rally in each of the six geo-political zones to drum support for the president. The exercise has seen the NGO moved to the South-East where it collated 1.6 million signatures in support of the cause.The TAN train moved to the South-West in Ibadan, the political headquarters of the region, last Saturday, where about 50, 000 people from across the parties, apart from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the region congregated to unanimously endorsed President Jonathan to run next year. Enthusiastic South-Westerners had been trooping into the mainbowl of the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, venue of the even, as early as 9:00 a.m., with highlife/Juju music crooner, Mr Yinka Ayefele, singing the president into the hearts of those at the stadium.Notable politicians and appointees in Jonathan's government from the South-West, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Jones Arogbofa, were on hand to welcome the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and TAN officials to the region.Also were Chief Bode George; Chief Gbenga Daniel; DrDoyinOkupe; Chief Olajumoke Akinjide; Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala; Honourable Mulikat Akande-Adeola; Senator Hosea Agboola; Alhaji Yekeen Adeojo; and Honourable Dimeji Bankole.Others were: DrAkinwunmi Adesina; Senator Iyiola Omisore; Teslim Folarin; Prince Buruji Kashamu; Prince Dayo Adeyeye; Mr Jelili Adesiyan; Kingsley Kuku; Ambassador TaofeekArapaja; Mr Jide Adeniji; Chief Olusola Oke; Gboyega Isiaka; Chief Ebenezer Babatope; Chief Shuaib Oyedokun; Honourable Muraina Ajibola; Femi Babalola; Seyi Makinde; and many others.The occasion presented a great opportunity for governorship aspirants and leaders of the various factions of the PDP in Oyo, the host state, to show their strength and demonstrate who among them actually enjoys more following in the state. As soon as the Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Akinjide was sighted by the mammoth crowd, deafening cheers rent the air in the stadium. The cheers were even louder when the immediate past governor of the state, Chief Alao-Akala, arrived at the venue. The warm welcome the crowd gave the two left officials from Presidency and the TAN management with adeep impression.In a welcome address, TAN's Director of Research, Policy and Documentation, Mr Ayokunle Fagbemi, put the rally and the group's focus in perspective. He said: 'At TAN, we seek to highlight the positive narratives and success stories of the style, governance service delivery and achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan's administration, which largely have been under-advertised and under-marketed!'TAN emerged as a platform filling the gap created by the poor marketing and advertisement of the positive developments in Nigeria, and the need to address the increased criticism from the citizenry and political opposition. We have now moved to the second phase of the strategy framework, which is strategic canvassing of citizenry contacts. Where critical Mass is good but quality must count.'Our medium and message contents are creative and made to count in reaching out in the stratified and sectoralmobilisation of all Nigerians! TAN's notion of strategic canvassing encapsulated in 'Nigerians Demand' aims at sending the signal loud and clear, particularly to the political class, that as the sun stood still over Gibeon and the moon stood in the valley of Aijalon to transform the history of Israel, Nigerians must align with God and our ancestors to achieve effective, efficient and sustainable transformation of Nigeria,' he said.Speaking shortly after, Chief George commended President Jonathan for his transformation of the country and charged the people to continue to give their support to the president and the PDP because the party was the only political organisation with all the national colours. He said this was why those who had strayed from the PDP to 'the bridge that leads to nowhere' would always find a way of coming back to their 'roots', expressing confidence in a resounding victory for the president in 2015.Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Adesina, who described Jonathan as farmers' president, said several million of farmers had benefitted for the transformation of the sector and increased farmers' income considerably, adding that the country would be self-sufficient in rice production under the Jonathan presidency.According to him, no fewer than 14 million farmers annually get fetilizer and seedlings and 20 million metric tons of food have been provided by Jonathan because he is a president that promises and delivers. The minister added that 59 million cassava stems and 39 million high-yielding cocoa seedlings have been given out free of charge to farmers, just as farmers' income from coca export had been increased from N148 billion in 2012 to N231 billion in 2014.The spokesperson for the host state, Oyo, and FCT Minister of State, Akinjide, said President Jonathan deserved to be re-elected by the South-West people for the transformation of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Sagamu-Benin-Ore Expressway, fixing the dilapidated railway to standard gauge, among many other projects.Akinjide, whose speech was punctuated by sings from Fuji entry into the stadium sparked loud cheers from the over 25,000 of her supporters she mobilised for the rally, said Jonathan's victory in 2015 would be pan-Nigerian, as his unprecedented achievements are already speaking for him across the country.She assured the organisers of the rally of unflinching support from the people of the state and the region for the transformation agenda.Apparently referring to the gaily dressed women mobilised in large numbers to the rally, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Honourable MulikatAkande-Adeola, expressed delight at the huge attendance of women at the rally and urged them to continue to support President Jonathan for his unprecedented achievement in the area of 35 per cent affirmative action.Before presenting documented evidence of South West people's support for the president, Chief Arogbofa expressed the confidence that with the quality of the leaders in the PDP in the region, there could be no doubt that Jonathan would coast home to another victory.A total of 1.8 million documented and verifiable signatures from the South-West citizens across political divides were presented to President Jonathan through the SGF, Senator Anyim. The figure was higher than what was garnered during the South-East rally.
Click here to read full news..
