2015: Jonathan to declare Nov 11

President Goodluck Jonathan will formally declare his intention to contest the 2015 presidential election on Tuesday, November 11, the Chairman of the Presidential Declaration Committee, Dr. Haliru Bello, has said.

Haliru spoke with State House correspondents on Friday at the end of the committee’s inaugural meeting at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to him, the President has not said yes to the clarion call to contest the 2015 election, adding that he would make pronouncement on that day.

Haliru, a former Minister of  is however, optimistic that President Jonathan will yield to the call by Nigerians that he should seek re-election.

His words, “The President gave us the task to organise the modality of creating a platform for him to meet Nigerians and announce his response to the various calls for him to come out and declare his interest in the presidential election.

“The President has not said anything yet but it is like all Nigerians have called on him. It is our honest hope that he will come out and say yes to the demand of multitude of Nigerians.

“We expect he will say yes but we cannot say yes for him. We will wait for him to speak.

“The date that is fixed is Tuesday, November 11. On that day, there will be a forum for the President to meet Nigerians to announce his decision.

“The venue is yet to be decided. That will be decided at our next meeting.

“When we come out on November 11, the President will face the people of Nigeria and say yes to their demand.

“If he says yes, it will be yes. If he says no, then it is negative. But you are aware that our party, the PDP in all its organs, from the caucus to the Board of Trustees, NWC had decided that President Jonathan should be given the first option of refusal with the PDP ticket.

“If he is going to contest, the PDP will give him preference. As the President, he has performed and we are satisfied with what he has done.

“It is only when he declines that we can look at any other contestant”.

The inaugural meeting was attended by most members including Governors Theodre Orji of Abia, Ibrahim Shema, Katsina; Ibrahim Dakwambo, Gombe; Olusegun Mimiko, Ondo and Liyel Imoke, Cross Rivers.

It will be recalled that the Presidential declaration Committee was set up at a meeting between President Jonathan and key chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday at the Presidential Villa.