People's Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Bamanga Tukur has confirmed the interest of President Goodluck Jonathan to seek re-election for the office of president come 2015.
Although the president has not publicly announced his interest to contest in the next presidential election, there had been concerns by opposition parties and some members of the ruling party on the president's interest in seeking re-election claiming Jonathan's body language and political developments across the country reveal his 'real interest'.
As a result Jonathan has had many against him running in 2015 and working towards stopping the president, even some strong members of the ruling PDP including governors had defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), with an aim to wrest power from Jonathan and the ruling party.
Tukur finally declared on Thursday for the first time a local event held in Abuja since the beginning
of the crisis rocking the PDP that the Nigerian leader has been chosen as the ruling party's
presidential candidate for 2015.
Urging party faithful not to be deterred by the exodus of some of its key members, the ruling party leader maintained that PDP remains insurmountable as the strongest and biggest party in Nigeria and Africa, according to Abuja-based local Leadership Newspaper on Friday.
"Don't be deterred by some people saying they are leaving the party. People leaving the party are individuals, not the party. It does not mean if they leave the party, the party leaves. No, the party remains. PDP is the only party in Nigeria that fields a candidate in every election that is held. Don't be deterred; don't be afraid, you are part of the ruling party," said the party leader who further tasked officials to play their roles wisely in making sure that Jonathan wins the 2015 election.
With this declaration of Jonathan's interest to re-contest in 2015 elections, another round of controversy may however be raised.
Just as the president continues to keep mum on his second term ambition, there seems to be no end in sight to the crisis rocking Nigeria's ruling party for more than six months now.
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