Jonathan In 2015: Yes Or No? Presidency Silent On Jonathan’s 2015 Intentions

President Goodluck Jonathan is yet to officially declare his intention (or lack thereof) to run for a second term, as the 2015 general and presidential elections loom nearer.
Jonathan, as the Sunday Independent notes, has used every opportunity to wave the issue aside while urging other presidential aspirants to go ahead with their own declarations. Thus, his plans to that effect have been kept in closed wraps.


However, his aides maintained that he will speak on the issue at the most appropriate time.
Also, while it is certain that he will contest for the election, his aides have been reluctant to speak on his decision for 2015, more so as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to announce the flag off of electioneering campaigns for politicians.

Nonetheless, Jonathan remains the major unofficial aspirant for the presidential seat under the umbrella of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) come 2015 and whose eventual candidacy can be taken for granted.

Not only is he the incumbent President with a right to run for a second term, there are yet no known serious rivals or contenders to the seat within the PDP.

According to Sunday Independent‘s sources, the PDP is planning to hold a mini-convention in the next few weeks during which Jonathan is expected to make a formal declaration of his ambition to go for re-election.

The convention, which will officially pick the party’s presidential flagbearer for the 2015 election should be a walkover and mere formality for Jonathan, as the party hierarchy is already working for his re-election.
The party’s National Chairman, Adamu Muazu, is said to be streamlining the process of selecting delegates from the states and local government councils for the convention to make them fewer and reduce possibilities and areas of friction during the event.

Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Tony Anenih, had in the aftermath of the upheaval that resulted from the party’s last convention in Abuja, urged Jonathan to openly declare his ambition and douse tension, a move the President declined to make.

The crisis had pitched pro-Jonathan party faithful against those who did not want him to run for re-election, including governors and federal lawmakers.

Eventually, five of the aggrieved governors, as well as lawmakers and some party chieftains defected to the rival All Progressives Congress (APC).

The calm that returned to the PDP thereafter has enabled Jonathan to consolidate his hold on the party machinery in the run-up to the 2015 presidential election.

Only last week in Calabar, Cross Rivers State, Anenih became the highest-ranking party member to confirm that Jonathan will indeed contest for re-election next year.