Chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP are lobbying for the release of an estimated N11 billion said to have been left over from the presidential campaigns for the purpose of surprising Rivers and Lagos states among others from the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The lobby for the funds being mounted by some presidential aides is being routed through governors known to have the unflinching ears of the president. However, one of the governors from the South-South who is under pressure from the presidential aides is, however, not inclined to their cause believing it to be a last minute move by the aides to harvest what is left in the PDP accounts.
The move by the PDP is coming against concurrent moves by the APC to retain control of the two states on the basis of what party officials claim is the need of having Lagos and Rivers in the control of the ruling party for political and economic expediency.
The pressures on him for funds for the governorship election nonetheless, President Goodluck Jonathan has called for total reconciliations among all Nigerians urging them to put the recent presidential election behind them being “children from the same womb, Nigeria.”
The president’s assertion was contained in his facebook page where he also urged Nigerians to learn to make sacrifices during critical periods like this.
Vanguard learnt that some Presidency officials including a once very visible official and another public official who is a director-general in one of the federal agencies were at the forefront of the lobby. Their efforts, it was learnt, was to mobilise funds for the party to win governorship election in crucial states like Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Lagos and Plateau.
A source privy to the lobby and who was a witness to one of the engagements with a South-South governor said:
“They came to meet oga and wanted Oga’s help in mobilising funds from what is left of the campaign funds to channel it to the struggle to get Lagos, Rivers and Plateau States,” the source disclosed.
The lobbyists in support of their argument gave the need to whittle down Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s influence, as they claimed that losing it to the APC would give Governor Amaechi unhindered influence across the South-South states.
For Lagos, the lobbyists cited the state’s economic potential as the reason for pulling it out of control of the APC.
The presidency lobbyists who are apparently acting without the support of the president, it was learnt were rebuffed by the governor but according to sources privy to their efforts, they have remained unrelenting even as at the weekend.
Their efforts were being matched by the APC, which Vanguard learnt, is also intensifying efforts to retain Rivers and Lagos States besides plucking Akwa Ibom State from the PDP.
One prominent official of the APC disclosed at the weekend that sustaining control of Lagos and Rivers as being pivotal to the realisation of the party’s plans for keeping a politically stable country.
“We must all come to the same platform to avoid political distractions,” the source disclosed. As one of the strategies of the APC, senior party officials have since the presidential election results were released been meeting influential leaders of the non–Yoruba populations who they believe voted massively for the PDP.
The party it was learnt was also trying to build on the momentum from its victory in the presidential elections to make inroads into Akwa Ibom State.
APC activists in the state, Vanguard learnt, are now projecting their campaigns on that front pushing that the state must not be left in the hands of the opposition.
The efforts by the PDP and APC party activists nonetheless, President Jonathan is apparently taking himself above the fray seemingly projecting the idea of a statesman as he weekend called for unity among Nigerians.
The president in an Easter message to his Facebook friends on Saturday called on all Nigerians to put aside the divisions that characterised the campaigns even as he lauded Nigerians for keeping faith with democracy.
He said: “As we celebrate Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I want to celebrate all Nigerians for keeping faith with democracy which is the only vehicle for the continuous growth and stability of our dear nation. Easter is the culmination of the Lenten season, a time to imbibe Christ’s teachings of reconciliation with God and each other.”
Noting the symbolism of the elections falling during the Easter holidays, the president continued:
“This year’s celebration of Easter is taking place at a period of very critical national choices and decisions, during which we must all be prepared and willing to make sacrifices for greater unity, peace, political stability and progress in our beloved country.
“As a nation, we must accept that the Presidential elections are behind us and reconcile our differences as children born from the womb of one mother, Nigeria. I am confident that we will do this,” the president said.
As at press time yesterday, the posting made by 5.17 p.m. on Saturday had attracted 35,935 likes and been shared by 2,935 persons.
The lobby for the funds being mounted by some presidential aides is being routed through governors known to have the unflinching ears of the president. However, one of the governors from the South-South who is under pressure from the presidential aides is, however, not inclined to their cause believing it to be a last minute move by the aides to harvest what is left in the PDP accounts.
The move by the PDP is coming against concurrent moves by the APC to retain control of the two states on the basis of what party officials claim is the need of having Lagos and Rivers in the control of the ruling party for political and economic expediency.
The pressures on him for funds for the governorship election nonetheless, President Goodluck Jonathan has called for total reconciliations among all Nigerians urging them to put the recent presidential election behind them being “children from the same womb, Nigeria.”
The president’s assertion was contained in his facebook page where he also urged Nigerians to learn to make sacrifices during critical periods like this.
Vanguard learnt that some Presidency officials including a once very visible official and another public official who is a director-general in one of the federal agencies were at the forefront of the lobby. Their efforts, it was learnt, was to mobilise funds for the party to win governorship election in crucial states like Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Lagos and Plateau.
A source privy to the lobby and who was a witness to one of the engagements with a South-South governor said:
“They came to meet oga and wanted Oga’s help in mobilising funds from what is left of the campaign funds to channel it to the struggle to get Lagos, Rivers and Plateau States,” the source disclosed.
The lobbyists in support of their argument gave the need to whittle down Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s influence, as they claimed that losing it to the APC would give Governor Amaechi unhindered influence across the South-South states.
For Lagos, the lobbyists cited the state’s economic potential as the reason for pulling it out of control of the APC.
The presidency lobbyists who are apparently acting without the support of the president, it was learnt were rebuffed by the governor but according to sources privy to their efforts, they have remained unrelenting even as at the weekend.
Their efforts were being matched by the APC, which Vanguard learnt, is also intensifying efforts to retain Rivers and Lagos States besides plucking Akwa Ibom State from the PDP.
One prominent official of the APC disclosed at the weekend that sustaining control of Lagos and Rivers as being pivotal to the realisation of the party’s plans for keeping a politically stable country.
“We must all come to the same platform to avoid political distractions,” the source disclosed. As one of the strategies of the APC, senior party officials have since the presidential election results were released been meeting influential leaders of the non–Yoruba populations who they believe voted massively for the PDP.
The party it was learnt was also trying to build on the momentum from its victory in the presidential elections to make inroads into Akwa Ibom State.
APC activists in the state, Vanguard learnt, are now projecting their campaigns on that front pushing that the state must not be left in the hands of the opposition.
The efforts by the PDP and APC party activists nonetheless, President Jonathan is apparently taking himself above the fray seemingly projecting the idea of a statesman as he weekend called for unity among Nigerians.
The president in an Easter message to his Facebook friends on Saturday called on all Nigerians to put aside the divisions that characterised the campaigns even as he lauded Nigerians for keeping faith with democracy.
He said: “As we celebrate Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I want to celebrate all Nigerians for keeping faith with democracy which is the only vehicle for the continuous growth and stability of our dear nation. Easter is the culmination of the Lenten season, a time to imbibe Christ’s teachings of reconciliation with God and each other.”
Noting the symbolism of the elections falling during the Easter holidays, the president continued:
“This year’s celebration of Easter is taking place at a period of very critical national choices and decisions, during which we must all be prepared and willing to make sacrifices for greater unity, peace, political stability and progress in our beloved country.
“As a nation, we must accept that the Presidential elections are behind us and reconcile our differences as children born from the womb of one mother, Nigeria. I am confident that we will do this,” the president said.
As at press time yesterday, the posting made by 5.17 p.m. on Saturday had attracted 35,935 likes and been shared by 2,935 persons.
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