2015: Jonathan yet to decide if Sambo will be his running mate — PDP

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has stated that President Goodluck Jonathan is still contemplating if he will be running with his vice, Alhaji Namadi Sambo, during the 2015 presidential election.
However, the PDP said since both men had been working together amicably since they assumed office more than three years ago, there was a possibility that Jonathan will still pick him.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, who made this disclosure while speaking with newsmen at a press briefing in Abuja, also said that the President was yet to accept the offer given to him by the party.
Metuh addressed the journalists on the planned nationwide tour to be embarked upon by the party’s national leadership, where he said achievements of the party would be showcased.
He said, “The President is yet to communicate to the party or to the entire country because he is not only the President of the PDP, he is the President of Nigeria and I cannot inform you of decisions that have been taken in terms of what will happen, because subjective opinions is not part of my job.
“I believe a lot of people are trying to speculate on Jonathan/Sambo ticket but why don’t we wait until the President declares?
“But I must inform you that part of the reasons the PDP has not mentioned that, is because it is a winning team. What the President has done, he has done it very well; I believe that there is no need to magnify or attempt to import any difference between the President and the Vice President. They have worked so well.
“The Vice President has continued to be the second most loyal Vice President in the history of this country; so I believe that he enjoys the confidence of the President. In the 2015 elections, if the President accepts to run, we will be able to take it to the next level.”
On whether the party would go ahead to sell the party’s nomination form which costs N12m to other presidential aspirants apart from the President, he said the leadership of the party would want all members of the party to obey the directive of NEC.
He said, “Our convention will hold. The PDP has adopted the President as the sole presidential candidate, it is believed that all responsible, respectable party members will comply with the decision of the highest decision-making body of the party.”
Metuh said, “The NEC of the PDP is the highest decision-making organ of the party; therefore, only the national caucus, national executive, can handle such decisions.
“Such decisions don’t go down the line to states and local governments. The decision of the national executive can only be reversed by the national convention.
“If the NEC decides to adopt a House of Assembly member as the sole candidate of the party, that is purely its decision”, he added.