Why Jonathan shifts Ondo state PDP rally

Ondo state Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko Wednesday explained that the Presidential campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scheduled to hold in the state today was postponed due to official engagement by President Goodluck Jonathan and that Ondo state is solidly behind Jonathan’s second term ambition.

The Governor who spoke through the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode Akinmade said the President rescheduled his campaign in Ondo state not for political reasons but to attend to other important national issues.

According to him President Jonathan had a crucial meeting with some world leaders in Abuja including former Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) Dr Kofi Hanna, hence the postponement of the campaign in the state.

The PDP Presidential campaign had initially scheduled the party’s presidential campaign in Ondo state for yesterday but cancelled it less than 24 hours to the programme.

Governor Mimiko who is also the South West Co-Ordinator of the Jonathan Campaign Organization hinted that a new date would soon be announced for the President’s campaign in the state.

He ruled out politics from the postponement and urged admirers of Jonathan and members of the PDP in the state to remain steadfast.

The Governor also assured that the people of the state would support President Jonathan’s second term ambition, just as he stressed that the people of Ondo state are solidly behind the Jonathan’s administration.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo state has debunked the claim that some of its members have decamped from the party, describing the claim as false.

Reacting to the claim, the PDP, in a statement issued by the state’s Publicity Secretary, Hon. Banji Okunnomo said those who claimed to have defected from the PDP had since ceased to be members of the ruling party.

The party added that the game plan of “the members of the opposition who only waited till now to make their membership of the party public” was to act as spoilers within but failed to achieve their aim.

“The PDP in Ondo state today is free of disloyal elements who hitherto worked with the opposition from within.

“They have eventually decided to go to where their hearts are and God has given us victory over the enemy”.

The party declared its readiness to go into the coming elections stressing that it is sure of victory”.

“With our mega status now , there is no doubt that we shall have a free day and we shall win the elections at all levels including the local government election which shall hold soon after the general elections” the party assured.