BLOC VOTES FOR JONATHAN

President Goodluck Jonathan
Bloc votes for Jonathan
South-East, South-South govs promise to deliver zones to president

From BUCHY ENYINNAYA, Asaba & Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka

Monday, January 24, 2011


• President Goodluck Jonathan
Photo: Sun News Publishing

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The eight governors of the South-south and the south-east regions rose from a one-day meeting in Asaba, Delta State yesterday with a vow to support President Goodluck Jonathan in the April presidential poll. The governors of the two zones endorsed Jonathan as the most credible candidate to occupy the seat of power.

Those who attended the meeting included Governors of Cross River, Abia, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa Ebonyi, Enugu and the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Patrick Ekpotu.

Absent were governors of Edo, Imo and Rivers States.

Addressing newsmen at the end of their meeting held inside the governor's office in Asaba, Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, declared: ”The President remains the most credible candidate capable of addressing the numerous challenges facing our country.”

At the end of their one day meeting on Sunday, the governors thanked Nigerians for massive support given to Jonathan at the recently concluded Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries held in Abuja .

Governor Peter Obi who read the communiqué expressed the governors appreciation to Nigerians over the transparency of the electoral process that led to the emergence of Dr Jonathan as the PDP presidential candidate.

According to the governors ,both zones discussed issues of common interest including the economy and have agreed to work together for the interest of the nation . Speaking with Daily Sun later, Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke said the areas of common interest include security and politics as they affect the interest of the zones and the nation at large .

At an earlier meeting in Awka, Anambra State, yesterday, the South-east governors called on the people of the zone to give President Goodluck Jonathan a bloc vote in the forthcoming presidential election.

They also agreed to continue to work together irrespective of party affiliations.

In a five-point communiqué reached at the meeting held at Government House, Awka, and read to newsmen by the chairman of the South-east Governors' Forum and Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, the governors promised to continue to give Jonathan an unflinching support in his presidential bid.

The communiqué, signed by the four governors present at the meeting, Obi (Anambra); Theodore Orji (Abia0; Martin Elechi (Ebonyi) and Sullivan Chime (Enugu) read in part: 'After meeting and holding exhaustive deliberations on matters affecting the South-east geo political zone and the federation of Nigeria as a whole, the South-east Governors Forum resolved as follows:

'To continue to work together and in unity for the common good and best interest of the geo political zone, irrespective of party affiliations and differences.

'To continue its unflinching support to His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in his presidential bid. 'To thank the South-east delegates to the recent PDP convention for heeding its advice and voting en masse for President Jonathan in the presidential primary contest and to urge the entire South-east electorate to vote overwhelmingly for President Jonathan in the April 2011 Presidential Election.'

On power supply, the Forum resolved to invest in power supply in the zone, noting that it had already discussed with the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in the zone for the actualisation of the project. On the ongoing voters' registration exercise, the Forum resolved 'to appeal to INEC to continue to improve on its performance. It urged every South-east native of voting age to ensure that they are registered to vote.

It, however condemned strongly the recent killing in Jos and urged the Federal Government to ensure that those behind the dastardly act were brought to book. The Governors, resolved, 'to utterly condemn the recent killings in Jos, and once again called on the Federal Government to ensure that the culprits were brought to book and ensure that a recurrence of such bloodletting was prevented.