President Goodluck Jonathan has begged to be left alone to focus on delivering on his political promises to Nigerians,instead of being drawn into alleged 2015 moves.
In a statement today, his spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, refuted a newspaper report that a 21-member committee has been set up towards Jonathan's 2015 campaign, saying that Mr. Jonathan has not yet taken a decision on whether or not he will seek re-election in 2015 and has therefore not mandated any individual, committee or organisation to start working on his behalf for the 2015 elections.
"President Jonathan's stated wish to be left alone to focus on delivering on his promise of good governance and national transformation without unnecessary distractions should be respected," the statement said.
"Political jobbers and their collaborators in the media should stop heating up the polity with baseless speculations and falsehoods revolving around imaginary plans and schemes by the Presidency for the 2015 elections."
It will be recalled that at the presentation of the "PDP Women-In-Power 2013 Calendar" in Abuja on February 21, the PDP National Women's Leader and member of the National Working Committee (NWC), Mrs. Kema Chikwe, openly said that Mr. Jonathan would return as President in 2015.
"We are even more confident that when President Goodluck Jonathan returns in 2015, women would be talking about 50 per cent and not 35 per cent," she said. "As we give him unequivocal, undiluted, unresolved and unlimited support and as we march with him to 2015, PDP women will reach the promised land," she said.
Mr. Jonathan did not contradict that statement, and Abati did not issue a bloated refutal.
Today's statement by the Jonathan spokesman is the first time Mr. Jonathan has referred to his electoral promises, which ran in the hundreds, since he was elected. Political observers believe that his failure to address those promises poses the biggest obstacle to any dreams Jonathan has about being reelected, even if he were to run.
"Ambition don begin jam reality," commented an analyst when contacted by SaharaReporters, "I mean, reality don begin jam ambition!"
Full text of the press statement by ReubenAbati:
"In spite of clear and unambiguous pronouncements by President Goodluck Jonathan that he remains fully focused on the implementation of his Administration's agenda for national transformation and not the politics of future elections, the Presidency has noted with concern that some individuals, groups, organisations and sections of the media have continued to foster the myth of a President and Administration solely concerned with jostling and self-positioning for the 2015 elections.
"On Monday, April 15, 2013, ThisDay newspaper published a front page news story titled "21-member C'ttee Empanelled for Jonathan's Second Term Bid" wherein it was stated, inter alia, that "the president's aides and associates have set up a 21-member committee to advise (President) Jonathan on the viability of his entry into the presidential contest in 2015". The impression is further created that a group known as "We, the people" has its roots in the Presidency and that the 2015 campaign has now become the main preoccupation of the Presidency.
"This is totally untrue and without any basis in reality. As he has truthfully declared on several occasions, President Jonathan has not yet taken a decision on whether or not he will seek re-election in 2015 and has therefore not mandated any individual, committee or organisation to start working on his behalf for the 2015 elections.
"President Jonathan's stated wish to be left alone to focus on delivering on his promise of good governance and national transformation without unnecessary distractions should be respected. Political jobbers and their collaborators in the media should stop heating up the polity with baseless speculations and falsehoods revolving around imaginary plans and schemes by the Presidency for the 2015 elections.
October 14, 2012, 11:16:00 AM