President Goodluck Jonathan has finally come out to declare for the 2015 presidential race.
Jonathan had kept the entire nation in suspense over his re-election bid for months.
It would be recalled that the leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP alongside the top chieftains of the party had endorsed the president as the sole presidential candidate of the PDP.
Prior to the president’s declaration , it was gathered that over 4000 support groups had already been mobilizing support for the president. Prominent among the groups are Transformation Ambassador of Nigeria (TAN) and Protectors of Nigerian Posterity.
Jonathan, who was reported to have already raised a 37-member declaration committee, will formally declare any day between November 7 and 15.
A reliable Presidency source, who pleaded anonymity told journalists in Abuja that Jonathan made his intention to contest known to the party leaders at a closed-door meeting in one of the guest houses inside the Presidential Villa.
The source said after thanking the party leadership for giving him the right of first refusal as far as the party’s presidential ticket was concerned, he told them that he had accepted the offer and was ready to run.
Jonathan was also quoted as telling the party leaders that he would come to the party headquarters to pick his nomination form before the October 30 deadline fixed by the party.
The source said, “President Jonathan today (Thursday) met with the leadership of the PDP and party leaders from the various zones of the country. He thanked them for giving him the right of first refusal as far as the party’s presidential ticket was concerned.
“The President told them that he had accepted their offer and he was interested in the presidential race.
“He told them that he will come and pick up his nomination form before the deadline stipulated by the party.”
The source added that following the declaration, the President announced the composition of a committee saddled with the responsibility of coming up with an elaborate declaration programme.
He said the committee chaired by a former Minister of Defence, Dr. Haliru Bello, was asked to work towards ensuring that the declaration held between November 7 and 15.
