75 Senators Endorse Jonathan

Posted by admin Headlines, Legislature, Presidency, Senate Sunday, December 19th, 2010

Barely 48 hours after 20 governors who are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) endorsed the candidacy of President Goodluck Jonathan for the January 13, 2011 presidential primaries of the party, about 75 of the party’s 85 senators are believed to have also indicated their readiness to support the president’s aspiration.
Senate sources told our correspondent last night that the endorsement of the president by the senator followed intensive lobbying by his campaign co-ordinator in the Senate, Senator Barigha Nimi Amange, who was said to have been working for Jonathan even before he became president.
The source said: “after the endorsement by the governors, we felt that we should also have a commitment of the senators who are automatic delegates at the PDP congress. Our leader, Senator Amange worked hard to convince our colleagues and the effort has paid off. We have seventy five senators who have endorsed the candidacy of Dr Goodluck Jonathan and we are proud of his efforts”.
When contacted, Amange would neither confirm nor deny the story. He said: “by Monday (tomorrow) we will talk about it. I am in Port Harcourt for my daughter’s wedding now”.
A breakdown of the senators who endorsed President Jonathan, according to a document sighted by our correspondent last night, indicated that 16 senators from the South-south, 11 from the South-west and 14 from the South-east endorsed Jonathan’s candidacy.
In the same vein, 13 senators from the North-central, 11 from the North-west and 10 from the North-east have also signed up for him.
The senators signed the document conveying their endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Among the senators who signed the endorsement motion are Senate President David Mark, his deputy Ike Ekweremadu, Senate Leader Teslim Folarin and other members of the leadership. Senator Kanti Bello from Katsina is the only member of the Senate leadership whose signature is not on the endorsement list.
By the PDP constitution, senators, members of the House of Representatives as well as governors are automatic delegates at the convention of the party for the selection of the party’s presidential flag bearer.wp_posts