< [showads ad=GLO]/a>The intrigues going on in the much acclaimed biggest political party in Africa, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) show that the vice president of Nigeria, Architect Namadi Sambo was not too sure if the party will retain him as the number two man in the country in the 2015 election most especially with the recent coming in of former EFCC chairman, Nuhu Ribadu. This move is aimed at garnering enough sympathy for Goodluck Jonathan with the strong belief that Ribadu has more national popularity than Sambo who is just popular in his Kaduna abode. [showads ad=GLO]
It could be recalled that prior to this time, some Nigerians believed vividly that the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala was more of a vice presidential material than Sambo. The Kaduna-born architect was also sidelined in Dr. Jonathan’s cabinet particularly during the weekly Federal Executive Council meetings. He was not given any chance to contribute his own quota to any new development during the meeting.[showads ad=GLO]
Having sighted that he may have problems with the powers that be in the party, Sambo resolved to beg the party’s top-shots in order to ensure the retention of his VP post. He was reported to have visited the chairman of the party, Adamu Muazu who in turn pleaded with some PDP governors in the country to play along with the VP. [showads ad=GLO]The involvement of Muazu, however, worked for Sambo and for now, Ribadu has been kicked aside for Sambo to remain as the vice president come next year’s election.
Surprisingly, surfacing all over the nooks and crannies of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja are posters of President Jonathan paired with Adamu Muazu for the 2015 presidential campaign. Since the emergence of these posters, there had been musings in political circles that Sambo’s job was under threat. This move, however, was suspected by those in the know to be the handiwork of some influential and powerful northern politicians who see no good in the performance of Sambo in his years as the vice president. No less than three northern governors have been linked with the pressure being put on President Jonathan to drop his deputy as running mate for the 2015 presidential election. The Mu’azu twist is the latest move made in this bid.[showads ad=GLO]
However, reprieve came the way of the VP when some equally powerful politicians within the PDP decided that Sambo should be retained as the VP because he was and remains part of the winning team for the party and had the confidence of President Jonathan to carry on with him as one presidency. Sambo retained his job on insistence by the PDP that the current vice president was part of the winning team. The inability of last Thursday’s PDP NEC meeting to expressly state the status of the vice president had heightened speculation that Sambo’s job was still under threat. But Mu’azu had dismissed the posters, saying mischief makers were behind them. The PDP, in a statement issued yesterday said Sambo remained part of the position it had taken on the president. The ruling party said the presidency was one.[showads ad=GLO]
The statement, signed by the party’s national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, aside describing Sambo as part of the party’s winning team ahead of the 2015 election expressed confidence in the vice president. It read, “There is no doubt whatsoever that the vice president has the implicit confidence of the president. The PDP is therefore very pleased that they are working together in actualising the transformation agenda to the popular acclaim of both Nigerians and the international community. [showads ad=GLO]
“We wish to place on record as well that the 66th NEC meeting of our great party, which endorsed President Jonathan as the sole candidate of the PDP for the 2015 general elections, responsibly reasoned and anchored this decision on the outstanding performance of the Jonathan presidency, of which Vice President Sambo is an integral part. “This motion, which was unanimously endorsed by NEC, left no room for any form of speculation, as Senator Jim Nwobodo who seconded it expressly commended both the president and his vice for lifting the banner of the PDP very high, while praying the NEC to approve the motion.” Nonetheless, posters of the president and the national chairman were seen around the FCDA, NTA and Federal Secretariat areas of Abuja and were pasted courtesy of a group by the name National Chairman Support Group. The campaign posters had on them inscriptions such as “The game has changed for better transformation; a united Nigeria is possible beyond 2015”, “Support for Dr. Goodluck ‘Ebelle’ Jonathan (President), Dr. Adamu Muazu (Vice President).” [showads ad=GLO]
Mu’azu’s media aide, Akin Oyegoke has, however, described the posters as mischievous. “This is purely mischief that is most condemnable in its entirety. It must be ignored because this is not the first time things like this will be brought to the public.
“At first, these mischief makers said the national chairman was eyeing the presidency, now that the president has been endorsed, they have shifted their focus to the president’s running mate.
“This is totally condemnable, because it is misleading; the national chairman knows nothing about the said posters,”Oyegoke told Leadership newspaper.[showads ad=GLO]
< [showads ad=GLO]/a>The intrigues going on in the much acclaimed biggest political party in Africa, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) show that the vice president of Nigeria, Architect Namadi Sambo was not too sure if the party will retain him as the number two man in the country in the 2015 election most especially with the recent coming in of former EFCC chairman, Nuhu Ribadu. This move is aimed at garnering enough sympathy for Goodluck Jonathan with the strong belief that Ribadu has more national popularity than Sambo who is just popular in his Kaduna abode. [showads ad=GLO]