From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi
The campaign posters of the son of the former Prime Minister of Nigeria, Abdul Jhalil Tafawa Balewa, who hopes to win the 2015 Presidential elections on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has flooded the strategic areas of Bauchi state.
The posters, which bear the picture of Tafawa Balewa, were pasted at strategic locations in Bauchi metropolis, especially at the popular Wunti roundabout, Gombe road gate, Yelwa, NNPC mega filing station and Dogonyaro roundabouts, Ningi road and Emir’s Drive, among others.
There was almost a traffic gridlock at the popular Wunti roundabout, as motorists and passersby stopped to catch a glimpse of the posters, which is the first poster ever on the PDP platform since the adoption of President Goodluck Jonathan by the PDP as the sole candidate for 2015 election.
The time of the posters, which is coming when preparations are in top gear ahead of President Jonathan’s official declaration for the 2015 election, has kept tongues wagging on the real motive behind its appearance.
Speaking to newsmen in Bauchi yesterday, the Personal Assistant to Balewa and his campaign coordinators, Philip Kimsa Gumel, said ‘‘barring any unforeseen circumstances, Jhalil would be unveiling his presidential campaign shortly after publicly announcing his political decision for 2015 in the next few weeks’’.
‘‘We are not bothered by the adoption of President Jonathan as the PDP’s sole presidential candidate in 2015 election, the campaign train of Dr Jhalil has decided to go ahead with plans for him to publicly declare his presidential ambition very soon’’, he declared.
According to him, “He has over some months now been going round the six geo-political zones of the country, making consultations with not only high ranking politicians and elites but with many socio-cultural pressure groups and associations, including the masses, and his decision is informed, on the one hand, by calls by family members, friends and thousands of members of our great party, who are really convinced about his capacity to lead the Nigerian nation out of its present state of poverty, hopelessness, stagnation and unfulfilled promises which the ruling party has deliberately thrown it into and his conviction to lead the nation out of the woods”.
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