Abuja — President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday told PDP state governors he will run for president in next year's elections and will make a public announcement for that on September 18, ending months of speculation as to whether he will seek the ruling party's nomination.
The president made the announcement at a two-hour meeting behind closed doors with governors of the People's Democratic Party, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, shortly after the release of the 2011 elections timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Jonathan met the governors soon after an earlier meeting with PDP national chairman Okwesilieze Nwodo, as part his consultations ahead of the polls.
No official statement was issued at the end of both meetings, but sources in attendance at the meeting with governors said the president told them that since INEC had issued the election timetable, there was no time to waste and so he was joining the presidential race.
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Many governors were not at the meeting, and Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido boycotted it specifically to protest what he called EFCC's harassment against him over "flimsy" petition, according to a top political source.
The governors were also said to have raised concern over the clampdown on them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over their perceived support for power rotation.
The president has been dawdling in announcing his decision, saying he was in consultation with stakeholders.
His statement yesterday is likely to elicit strong resistance from particularly northern governors, who had said power should move to the North in 2011 in accordance with the PDP's zoning arrangement.
Earlier yesterday, INEC issued the timetable, showing that the elections will kick off with the National Assembly polls on January 15, followed by the presidential election a week later and governorship and state assembly elections on January 29, 2011.
Based on the timetable, announced by INEC commissioner in charge of information Solomon Soyebi, the political party primaries for the nomination of election candidates will be held from September 11 to October 30, while voters' registration has been set for November 1 to 14.
After the elections, possible run offs for governorship and presidential elections will be held within seven days after the announcement of the result of the respective elections, Soyebi said, linking the timelines to provisions of the amended constitution and the Electoral Act 2010.
The timetable shows that campaign in public by political parties will commence on October 17 and will end on January 14, 21 and 28 for the three sets of elections respectively.
Registration of voters at the 120,000 polling units across the country will begin on 1st and end on 14th November, during which 70 million prospective voters are expected to be registered.
The voters register will be displayed for claims and objections between 20 and 25 November, while the final voter register is to be published on December 16.
INEC will issue notice of election on October 13 while political parties will collect forms CF001 and CF002 which contains personal particulars of candidates and party's list of candidates for all elections from October 19 to 22.
Submission of form CF001 which contains affidavit and personal particulars of candidates and form CF002 which has the party's list of candidates will be from November 15 for National Assembly, 22 for presidential and 29 for governorship/state Houses of Assembly elections, and same will be published on 22 November, 29 November and 6 December respectively.
Parties are expected to submit nomination forms to INEC between 4, 7 and 11 December, for National Assembly, presidential and governorship/state Houses of Assembly elections.
The last day for the withdrawal or substitution of candidates by political parties will be November 30 for the National Assembly, December 7 for presidential and December 14 for governorship/state Houses of Assembly elections.
List of all candidates will be published on 16, 23 and 30 December. Lists of all political party agents are to be submitted to the state resident electoral commissioners on January 8, 21 and 28 for each of the three elections.
Reading out the timetable at a news conference in Abuja, Soyebi said the commission acted "in exercise of the powers coffered on (it) by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, the Electoral Act, 2010 and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf."
The elections were staggered in accordance with section 25 of the Electoral Act which states that the elections should be held in the following order "a. Senate and House of Representatives; b. Presidential election; and c. State House of Assembly and Governorship election."
2011 elections dates :
Party primaries: September 11 to October 30, 2010
National Assembly election: January 15, 2011
Presidential election: January 22, 2011
Governorship/State Assembly elections: Jan 29, 2011
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" .. Jonathan - I Will Run for President .."
Of course he would. Isn't that what his marauding oyibo masters want - nay, order, him to do?
[In case you failed to notice, the plundering, ancestor-murdering evil oyibo monster is all for Obadluck - and promotes Obadluck.
[Can evil promote anything good for 9ija? Even the name is foreign. It spells doom.]
And Obadluck schemed and connived with oyibo - while our Pres Yar'Adua was in office and when our Pres Yar'Adua was on his deathbed
Obadluck says nothing that would upset his oyibo. Not about the plunder of 9ija. Not even a comment about our ancestral past that haunts Nigeria today.]
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" .. ending months of speculation .."
Dimwits like you speculated - we didn't.
Once more, the 'oyibo' Jonathan and his henchmen have succeeded in justifying my apprehension, and doubts about his ability and capacity to lead a country that is so badly in need of a leader- not a president sir! The elections timetable itself is a failure as it's too skewed and obnoxious to the effect. It has everything a successful failed election can have. Besides, is Jonathan's candidacy any surprise that could merit a Newspaper front page; no, emphatic no! Though the western world leaders knew long before even the rest of ASO rock staff that the man was running, yet to most of us, the surprise element of the pronouncement is nothing more than a jolly bellicose event for the wanabees. In short, Jonathan is not the leader Nigeria needs at this cross road of its destiny. This man will be Nigeria's worst nightmare and he'll prove it from the outset. Anyway, the Boka Haram exercise is just the reminder that Nigerians don't need on the day Mr. Jonathan announced his candidacy- bad luck for Mr Goodluck- what a coincidence. Hope Nigerians will look into the seeds of time and see which one will grow and which will never rather than being over zealously sentimental about change.
Nigeria will be 50 and although it hasn't been fun at all of a truth, there has being contemptuous records trailing the move. It is high time we stopped hulling stones of accusations on anyone, no one is guilt-free. Goodluck Jonathan is as eligible as any other Nigerian to run for the election.And we the people should be more kin to competency of which he has being able to showcase within his succinct period in power. And as for election schedule, It's too tight and as such can highly suffer the intended and long expected free and fair election.And although the dates are already on air, madifications can still be made, its our thing and we ought not delay or retard in doing any reasonable thing that will improve on our system after all,it is Democracy,the people's own government,so prof. Jega will have to reconsider his too hasty timetable. I Urge all Nigerians to fervently pray for Nigeria and not be pessimistic about the country. One luv
The timetable for the fortcoming elections are too tight that one is afraid there may not be enough information about the candidates' track recordescheck swhich leaves the ugly face that the electorates could not have good chance voting for credible candidates of their choosen. If the socalled INEC Agency wants to give the Nigerian People free and fair election as it claimed there is need to extend the timetable so as to allow the People good breathing space to study and know the candidates otherwise we may end up with same freaky faces of the failed policies and corrupt bastards of the past.Bearing in mind that there is no perfect elections anywhere in the World,Nigeria at this time should be of age enough to conduct simple free and fair elections on her own if really we're Independent Nation.If we as a Nation fail to get it closely right this with the present technology and well educated human resources within,we could be bitting our nails again and asking what could have been.It may not be bad idea,if INEC calls press conference with the support of the Nigerian Peoples to move the election timetable forward and besides,it enable qualified voters to chose who to vote for and why.To rush to have this election on this timetable mandate will leave some miliions dissatified and wounded.Please lets usher in free and fair elections at least for the first time in 50 years of the Nation's History we must have no excuses.Remember,we the People and we alone must make this change not the politicians because its us the employers who're hiring these unemployed politicians.As people, we have the power that God gave us to reshape our National destiny not these political crooks and murders.Lets mount pressure on INEC to move the timetable a little bit further so as to allow the people address some of the outlined concerns they may be having.Power to the People.
Of a truth we are far from practising Democracy , what we are practising is not government of the people , it is government of imposition and siddon tight . what ever obasanjo and co are planning for Nigeria, is what i do not understand - whatever it is God dey and has final authority. God luck Nigeria
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