Panic Grips PDP Yar'Adua/Jonathan Campaign Posters Flood Abuja January 30, 2008 | posted by Mobolaji Aluko (Archives)

 

NATIONAL MIRROR

January 30, 2008

Panic Grips PDP Yar'Adua/Jonathan Campaign Posters Flood Abuja

By KOLA JIMOH

There  is palpable panic in the ruling Peoples Democratic  Party, (PDP) over the fate of President Umaru Yar'Adua and his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan in  the presidential election petition filed by  former  vice president, Atiku Abubakar, the presidential flagbearer of the Action Congress (AC).

Last Monday, ahead of the reschedule session of the Court of Appeal, Abuja where Atiku and former  head of state, Muhammadu Buhari,  the All Nigeria Peoples Party, (ANPP) candidate at same poll are contesting the election of President Yar'Adua.

The entire  arena of the court's premises was flooded  by no fewer  than three PDP  ministers, some state governors and a motley crowd of sloganeering party supporters who were dressed in solidarity shirts.

Along the streets of Abuja too, posters  eulogising  the Yar'Adua  Jonathan ticket were pasted.

But as this way playing out,  it was gathered that the development followed an order  by PDP chairman, Ahmadu Ali to members present at the party's caucus meeting held a week earlier  prompting  them to "prepare for new election."

"The posters that you now see pasted on the streets of Abuja are just a natural follow-up. But  we are still hopeful that things may not get to that level", said one of the sloganeering youth at the Appeal Court, Abuja.

But according to an online newspaper, Elendureports.com, the national secretariat of the PDP has ordered that campaign materials left over from the April election, including Yar'Adua/Goodluck vests be distributed to the various states immediately. At the Court of Appeal, venue of the Presidential Election Tribunal, PDP supporters were seen wearing campaign clothes.

Elendureports.com was informed by very top sources at the presidency that the fear that the presidential election may be annulled at the tribunal is very real.

Elendureports.com had earlier reported exclusively that President Umar Musa Yar'Adua had said he would not appeal the verdict of the tribunal if it goes against him. Soon after the report was published, a close friend of the president told the online agency that: "We know that Umar would not want to appeal or re-contest the election but we will not let him go. As of today we know he can comfortably win in a free and fair election, therefore he must run again."

Another factor that may influence the way PDP prepares for an eventual annulment of the presidential election is Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and Yar'Adua's rival during the last presidential election. According to some presidency sources, former Vice President Atiku in one of his meetings with the president told President Yar'Adua that he may not run in a new election if the tribunal orders a fresh election but said he would pursue his case at the tribunal to a logical conclusion. He opined to the president that it would be better if he were to win in a fresh election as that would address the problem of illegitimacy.

Garba Shehu, media consultant to the former vice president told Elendureports.com in a phone chat: "That is absolute rubbish. The position of the Action Congress (AC) is that there was no election in 2007. The party's presidential candidate is there and ready to contest elections. Why are we in court? Are we fighting to win and then abandon it to Umar Yar'Adua? We may as well accept ministerial positions and leave everything to Yar'Adua now."