Confusion over Jonathan’s campaign committee

There is confusion in the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party over when the party will inaugurate its Presidential Campaign Committee.

Doyin Okupe

The committee, which is headed by a former National Chairman of the party, Ahmadu Ali, was made known during the inauguration of the party’s National Campaign Council, headed by its National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on December 11.

It was meant to be inaugurated the following day at Legacy Building, Maitama, Abuja.

Investigations by our correspondent showed that neither the party nor the Presidency can speak authoritatively on when the committee will be inaugurated.

Since no one knows this, it is also observed that there is no plan yet as to when the committee will release President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign itinerary.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, told our correspondent that he was not in the position to state when the President’s campaign would start, adding that a committee was being put in place for that purpose.

“I’m not in charge of that; I don’t know where and how the campaign would run,” he told our correspondent on the telephone on Tuesday.

Also, the National Secretary of the party, Prof. Wale Oladipo, when contacted, was unable to give specific date on when the committee would begin work.

Initially he said it would be inaugurated this week, but when reminded that both Thursday and Friday had been declared public holidays, he said he was not sure.

He said, “The committee will be inaugurated this week, or before it runs out. Anyway, we are working on it.”

The committee, which is being considered as being juicy, already has N21.27bn to work with.

Meanwhile, there are indications that prominent members of the party from both the North-West and North-East may have rejected the headship of the President’s campaign committee.

Their refusal to stand up for the President, it was gathered, was as a result of the general apathy to the President’s second term ambition in the area.

Ali, who is heading the committee now, is from the North-Central.

A former member of the Senate, Dr. Dalhatu Tafida, was the director general of the campaign in 2011.

He is from Kaduna State.

It was learnt that the Presidency and the national leadership of the party were still scouting for more people to fortify the campaign committee.

A presidency official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “The President wants more capable hands in the committee. He knows that this election is different from the one held in 2011.

“Besides, since the opposition, the All Progressives Congress had named its committee members, the PDP and the Presidency have to return to the drawing board.”

While the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, is the director general of the APC’s Presidential Campaign, a former Commissioner of Information in Lagos State, Mr. Dele Alake, is its spokesperson.

It will be recalled that the President of the Senate, David Mark, had admitted that the PDP has serious opponents to contend with at all levels during the forthcoming 2015 general elections.

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Confusion over Jonathan’s campaign committee