Jonathan Appoints Dalhatu Tafida Campaign Director

[gogannaka]

 From Thisdaynewspapers.
25/08/2010   

Jonathan Appoints Dalhatu Tafida Campaign Director
•IBB picks Dokpesi


President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed Nigeria's High Commis-sioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Dalhatu Tafida, as the Director of his campaign - on a day his Special Adviser on National Assem-bly matters, Senator Muham-med Abba-Aji, announced that he would declare after the Ramadan fasting in September.

Former military president Gen. Ibrahim Babangida has, meanwhile, appointed the CEO of Daar Communications which owns AIT and Ray Power broadcast stations, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, as the Director-General of his campaign organisation.

The president had at the weekend announced to a group of about 100 politicians from Northern Nigeria that he would join the presidential race, thereby putting paid to speculations that he would not run.
A source told THISDAY from the UK last night that Tafida, a physician, has accepted to be the Director of Campaign of the president.

Tafida was personal physician to President Shehu Shagari in the Second Republic and was also Senate Leader under former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He hails from Wusasa in Kaduna State.
Under the Option A4 system of picking presidential candidates, Tafida defeated former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, on the platform of the National Republican Convention (NRC) to end Gowon's dream in the 1992 presidential primaries of the party.

Abba-Aji said yesterday that the president will officially declare his intention in respect of the 2011 election after the Muslim fasting.
Speaking to journalists under the aegis of Friends of Jonathan, Abba-Aji said: "The President will certainly run and he will declare after Ramadan. He is fasting along with us. He is right now fasting.

"This is not something that he started now; he started it since he moved to Abuja as Vice-President. Because of this he is holding on. But as soon as the Ramadan is over, he will declare for the presidency.
"There is no doubt about that. We will take a convenient date after the Sallah and you will be duly notified. Don't believe those who are saying president won't run. Don't believe them. The president will run. It is the desire of every politician to aspire to the highest level."

THISDAY, however, learnt the president has asked the committee working on the declaration to pick between September 14 and 15 for the much-awaited event.
Jonathan was said to have shifted the date to the second week of September to coincide with the end of Ramadan fast, which may be September 11 or 12.

"It is true that Jonathan is fasting with his Muslim brothers and sisters. The Ramadan fast may end by September 12. He has therefore, advised the committee preparing for the event – his presidential declaration to pick 14 or 15 September. And we are looking at September 14," the associate said.
Jonathan is said to have chosen the date because he did not want Muslims to be saddled in the period of Ramadan with the kind of political activities that will follow his declaration.

THISDAY learnt the president has set up a committee to ensure that all stakeholders, institutions and other interest groups are consulted in planning for the event.
The Presidency had stated recently also that Jonathan had to delay his declaration for the presidential race to enable him consult widely with all segments of the country.

Yesterday, Abba-Aji also said the President is now the closest person to the presidential seat because "he is already sitting on it".
He said: "He is the closest person to the Presidency in 2011. Nobody is closer to it than Jonathan because he is already on the seat. He is going to run and there is no doubt about it.

"We have made it abundantly clear that President Jonathan has inherited all the political fortunes of late President (Umaru Musa) Yar'Adua. Were he to be alive he would have been automatically entitled to a second chance. That chance is the entitlement of President Jonathan."

Referring to the actions of PDP governors, he said: "We are not threatened by the action of the PDP governors. They are very important leaders of our parties in their various states and in the governance of the country.
"They know that this is the turn of Jonathan because as a sitting President, it would take thoughtlessness to suggest that somebody other than him should be given the chance. We have no fear at all we know that our governors will support the president in due course.

"Many of them are doing that already. Right now on our count, I am sure that we have a majority. Over two-thirds of the governors are with us and not that the rest are not with us but they are yet to declare but they will declare for the President in due course."
Meanwhile, President Jonathan has said he will draw on the pledged support of the government and people of Nasarawa State should he decide to seek re-election next year.

Welcoming a promise of "total support and commitment" to his victory in the election  from a high-powered delegation led by Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma, President Jonathan said he was greatly encouraged by the delegation's visit and its appreciation of his administration's achievements in the little time it has had in office.

In the delegation were the state Deputy-Governor Michael Abdul, former Governor Abdullahi Adamu, Speaker of the State House of Assembly Alhaji Musa Mohammed, Emir of Lafia and Chairman of the State Council of Chiefs Alhaji Mustapha Agwai, Senator Abubakar Sodangi, Senator Walid Jibrin and PDP Chairman in the state Chief Yunana Iliya.

A statement last night from the office of the President and signed by O. J. Abuah, said President Jonathan reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that every vote counts in next year's general elections.
"We will not shift an inch away from it. Public office holders must truly enter office with the mandate of the people. If votes do not count, then public office holders cannot be compelled to do the right thing. Ensuring that all votes count is therefore the best way of ensuring that our democracy stabilizes and our people reap its positive dividends," President Jonathan told the delegation.

On the specific request by the delegation that the dualisation of the Abuja-Keffi Road be extended to Akwanga and Lafia and further to Makurdi and Enugu, the president said it was his belief that all the arterial roads into Federal Capital Territory should be expressways to facilitate easy movement in and out of the city.
They told the president that the people of the state had resolved to give him their full support if he presents himself for re-election next year.

"We wish to state that should you decide to answer the clarion calls on you from different parts of the country to contest the 2011 presidential election, we, the people of Nasarawa State are resolved to give you our total support and commitment," they said.
Others in the delegation were Alhaji Yusuf Agade Ayitogo, PDP National Vice-Chairman, North-central Zone, Alhaji Hussaini Akwanga, Senator Joseph Umaru, Alhaji Hassan Mohammed Agwai, Emir of Nassarawa, Alhaji Hassan Ahmed, Andoma of Doma, Alhaji Ahmadu Onawo, Eus Karu, Chief Luka Panya Baba and several community leaders.

[GoodFella]

WOW! I wish I were one of those men. I know you too, Gogannaka would want to be one of them.  ;D

[gogannaka]

Our attention has been drawn to statements by the Director General of the General Ibrahim Babangida campaign organisation, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, to the effect that the Presidency is after his life.

He is also alleged to have said that there is a plot to kidnap his son, as a means of forcing him to abandon the Babangida campaign. Obviously, these are lies, and it beats us hollow what Dokpesi stands to gain by them beyond introducing chilling and quite sinister dimensions to the contest for the presidency in 2011.

Nigerians know those who are the "Masters" in the art of political violence and it is not President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Nigeria had enough of such deadly power games under the jack boots of dictators past, and in embracing democracy and freedom, we have said a resounding NO to them once and for all.

Nigerians are also aware of the inclinations of the political family Dokpesi belongs to in the South South, and their past roles as purveyors of violence and political "militancy".  Everyone knows that Jonathan has never been associated with such distasteful things.

We also note Dokpesi's claim that the tax authorities are after him, and ask that he nurses no fears since we assume he has been paying his taxes as at when due. We are after all, a law abiding society, and no one should fear the taxman if their taxes are up to date. Making unsubstantiated claims would not stop the tax authorities from doing their jobs.

This is our position. And we stand resolutely by it.

Ima Niboro
Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, to the President.
11th September, 2010.

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I can't believe this is coming from the presidents mouth.
Very undiplomatic and unbecoming of the spokesperson.
As the president's spokesperson he should note that whatever he says has the seal of the president of the federal republic of Nigeria and the president is not supposed to be talking like this.