Jonathan Denies Abandoning Presidential Bid
San Francisco, August 17, (THEWILL) – The presidency today issued a statement debunking a news report in Reuters that President Goodluck Jonathan may likely not run in next year’s presidential election.
Reuters, who quoted an unnamed presidency source, said Jonathan’s decision was founded on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) decision to retain zoning, adding that the president would make an announcement at the end of August.
But the president shot back via a statement from his media aide alleging that the news story was ‘sponsored by interested parties.’ The statement said ‘the highly rated news agency was misled into publishing’ the misleading report.
The statement reads; "Our attention has been drawn to a report published by Reuters today, quoting "Presidency" sources as stating that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan may have decided not to run in the 2011 presidential elections after all.
"Information at our disposal indicates that this is a story sponsored by interested parties. Unfortunately, the highly rated global news agency was misled into publishing it. The truth is that the President has not said he will not run. Neither has he said he will.
"At different times, he has given clear reasons why he considers it premature, in the interest of governance, to make any commitment both ways.
"At the appropriate time, the President will inform his country men and women of his future plans. Until then, every comment on the subject remains mere speculation."
Just last week, THEWILL exclusively reported that President Jonathan had appointed Vice President Namadi Sambo and Chief Tony Anenih as arrowheads of his presidential campaign. Both men are fiercely building campaign structures and lobbying stakeholders on the wisdom to support a Jonathan presidency in 2011.
The PDP recently reaffirmed its power sharing arrangement between Northern and Southern states of the oil rich nation but gave Jonathan, who is from the South a go ahead to run in next year’s presidential election if he wanted to, but stopped short of endorsing his candidacy.