2015: Politicians In Underground Moves, ATIKU: I Will Run If The Chance Presents Self; Okonkwo: No, Ndigbo Must Claim The Slot

CONTRARY to pronouncements that 2015 is still far, and admonitions that elected officials should be allowed to concentrate on their jobs, investigations have, nonetheless, reveal that politicians interested in the presidency have earnestly commenced groundwork for the election.

Recently, members of the defunct Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), a political grouping that has former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as a staunch ally, met in a reunion at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.

Fingers have pointed at Atiku as the brain behind the PDM reunion, but in a discussion with The Guardian, he said the PDM members were free to meet on their own choosing, as they are spread across many political parties.

He, however, agreed that the reunion could be part of the realignment of forces towards 2015, “which is a legitimate part of the democratic process.”

He said: “The PDM, as a political movement, which gave the PDP a foothold in 1998-99, is bigger than me, or any individual member. You have to understand that the PDM is not a political party; it is a political idea, which will continue to survive partisanship and the tumultuous waters of Nigerian politics.”

On his plans for 2015, he said if the opportunity presented itself, he would go for it. “Let me assure you that politics does not recognise the language of finality… Political decisions are, th

Annie Okonkwo, former vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and president of the C-21, an Igbo socio-political group, said it was neither too early nor late for Ndigbo to commence work towards realising the 2015 project.

According to him, any zone or group that desires the presidency must start work now if it was to be taken seriously.

On the 2015 election, he said: “We are determined, more than ever, to ensure that the next person that will succeed Jonathan must be an Igbo man.   Meanwhile, the Goodluck Jonathan presidency, while not making clear statements on 2015 at this point, has begun to market what the administration has achieved in the last 16 months.

This may have prompted recent moves by the Federal Government to do a media exhibition of projects and services undertaken by the administration.

But Mr. Tony Uranta, secretary of United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS), appears to be hoisting the flag for President Jonathan, whose perceived second term ambition in 2015 has been attacked by interest groups from across the country.

Uranta argued that the race for 2015 should be open to all on merit, stressing that, “everybody has a right under the present Constitution to run” for any elective position.

 Culled from Guardian