2015 Elections: Youths Storm Abuja For President Jonathan's Rally
In a bid to show their support for President Goodluck Jonathan's re-election ambition, reports state that over 500 groups have stormed the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
According to a report published by Punch newspaper, the groups are expected to participate in a solidarity rally scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 31, 2014, in Abuja ahead of the 2015 general elections.
Though the incumbent president is yet to officially declare his intention to contest in next year's presidential elections, many Nigerians believe Jonathan would announce his candidature later this year.
* President Jonathan
Political analysts believe the 2015 polls would be keenly contested between Jonathan's ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC.
However, the APC, led by former Lagos State governor, Senator Ahmed Tinubu, is yet to declare who would represent the opposition party in the general election.
Commenting on the planned rally, the Patron of Jonathan Youth Vanguard, George Turnah, informed that each of the 500 groups had signed to mobilise supporters for the 2015 project.
* A pro-Jonathan rally held in Kaduna
According to Turnah, the rally is being jointly organised by JYV and Niger-Delta Youth Leaders Council.
“All logistics for a successful outing have been put in place; over one million people have since last night arrived in Abuja ahead of Thursday’s rally. As we speak, over 500 pro-Jonathan support groups have so far signed in to this project and have also endorsed the candidacy of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 Presidential elections, as well as his continuity beyond 2015,” Turnah said.
He also stated that the organisers of the rally had started decorating the city with posters, banners and bill-boards.
“Our mobilisation strategy for the rally remains as planned. Each of the 500 groups that have signed up for the rally has a mandate to mobilise 2,000 persons. From our records, all the groups have met their various targets,” he said.
He denied that the group was being sponsored by the Presidency or any government agency.
Meanwhile, the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has warned the Niger Delta youth and other supporters of President Jonathan against holding any form of rally for the President in Abuja.
However, the ACF noted that rather than holding the rally in Abuja, the Niger Delta youths should hold such a mass rally in the South-South for security reasons.
According to a statement released to by the body in Kaduna on Wednesday, “the mass movement of Nigerians from other parts of the country into Abuja at the time of the rally might likely cause security breaches and possibly be hijacked by hoodlums to cause havoc, including the likely destruction of lives and property.
“ACF calls upon supporters of Mr. President, wherever they are, to express such love and solidarity to Mr. President in their various domains, rather than mass movement to Abuja, the Federal Capital.”
The northern body noted that the entire exercise was ill-timed, ill-advised and flagrant disregard to the feelings of other Nigerians affected by the insecurity challenges in the land.
According to the National Publicity Secretary of ACF, Muhammad Ibrahim, the Niger-Delta youths are being insensitive to the plight of the North following the spate of bombings and other terrorism activities in the region.
As at the time of compiling this report, newsmen observed a heavy presence of security men in most locations within the FCT.
It would be recalled that the Islamists militants' sect, Boko Haram, had bombed Kaduna, Kano and Yobe states in the last couple of weeks.
No fewer than 100 lives have been lost through the attacks, according to police reports.
Source: Legit.ng
