Jonathan, PDP leaders meet to strategise

President Goodluck Jonathan; his deputy, Alhaji Namadi Sambo; and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party met in Abuja on Wednesday. The meeting, which was held behind closed door, was said to be meant to strategise for the Saturday’s National Assembly election. Apart from Jonathan and Sambo, also at the meeting were the Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Bello Haliru; the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Organisation, Sen. Dalhatu Tafida; his deputy, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, and members of the campaign team. Jonathan was driven into the campaign headquarters of the party located at Maitama around 12.35pm and left at about 3.16pm. It was learnt that the meeting reviewed the performance of the party during the Saturday’s botched National Assembly. It was leant that the meeting specifically reviewed the elections in states where elections were almost concluded before the Independent National Electoral Commission ordered its cancellation. Sources close to the meeting also said the party was worried about the decision of INEC to print runoff ballot papers for the presidential elections. A member of the National Working Committee of the party, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the party believed that Jonathan was capable of winning the presidential election at first balloting. The source said, “We learnt that INEC is preparing for a runoff for the presidential, but we believe that that is unnecessary because our candidate is going to win at the first balloting. “But if INEC is doing that, then we need to re-strategise because the commission may have seen what we did not see. So, what it means is that we shall double our efforts to ensure that the President wins in the first ballot, nothing will be left to chance.” The meeting, it was gathered, also discussed the possibility of accommodating the extension in the campaign strategy of the party, especially as it regards the presidential campaigns. It was gathered that the party might not commence a new line of campaigns in view of the extension, but the meeting directed that the various organisations campaigning for the election of the President should be re-inforced to double their strategy and campaign operations. By Olusola Fabiyi Courtesy Of: Punch