President Goodluck Jonathan and his campaign handlers have redoubled their efforts to get significant votes from the South-West during the March 28 presidential election. The decision was based on calculations that the zone, because of its high number of registered voters, was critical to Jonathan’s re-election. A Presidency official told one of our correspondents that that was why the members of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council decided that Jonathan should reach out more to political, opinion leaders and traditional rulers in the zone with a view to getting their support.
He said that Jonathan and his handlers had therefore decided to use his ongoing visit to the South-West to carry out the task. Jonathan, who was in Lagos on Thursday to inaugurate four Naval platforms, is expected to remain in the zone till Sunday. He later met with the Yoruba Council of Elders at the State House, Marina, Lagos.
Our source said the campaign team believes that the meeting could easily influence their (YCE) followers to support Jonathan. According to him, barring any last minute change in plan, Jonathan will be visiting the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, on Saturday. On the same day, the President will visit the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade. He said:
“You will recall that when the President visited Ibadan for his campaign, he only visited Olubadan. We have identified the need for him to also visit the Alaafin of Oyo. The same thing happened when we were at Osogbo for the presidential rally. He visited the Ataoja of Osogbo. We have found it necessary to visit the Ooni of Ife. More traditional rulers from the zone will be reached out to during this period, one way or the other. The simple message for these monarchs is for them to support the President’s re-election bid.”
The opposition All Progressives Congress controls three states in the South-West (Lagos, Oyo and Osun) while Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic Party is in charge of Ekiti and Ondo states. Following the delay of polls dates, the PDP Campaign Council had resolved to begin another round of state-wide campaigns. It was reported then that unlike the just-concluded campaigns that took Jonathan to about 35 states, about 10 states would be visited during this round for more “penetration and consultations.”
Some Yoruba leaders, who converged on Akure, Ondo State on Thursday to review the recommendations of the National Conference, concluded that a vote for Jonathan would ensure the implementation of the conference’s recommendations. The meeting by the Yoruba leaders under the aegis of Afenifere Group. was tagged, ‘’National Conference, 2015 Elections and the Yoruba Nation.’