8,000 Groups Are Calling On Jonathan To Contest 2015 Presidential Election-Aide

More than 7,000 groups across the country are said to be calling on
President Goodluck Jonathan to run for the 2015 general election.

The President's Special Adviser on Political Matters, Prof. Rufai
Alkali, told journalists in Abuja on Monday, that there is pressure on
the president to declare his presidential ambition but that the
president is not in a hurry to do so.

Prof Alkali was speaking when the special committee set up to
restructure the Goodluck Support Group chaired by Gen. Adamu Ibrahim
(retd.), submitted its report to him.

Alkali said, "The preliminary observation from the report of the team
is that contrary to our earlier position that there were about 3,000
groups rooting for Mr. President, we now have more than 7,000 support
groups nationwide all calling on President Jonathan to declare for the
Presidential race.

"Indeed, initially we printed 5,000 forms that were distributed to the
NGOs and other Support Groups but the forms soon ran out and we had to
print additional 2,000.

"As I am speaking to you now we have at least another 1,000 groups
demanding to be screened, which will make it 8,000 groups."

Alkali added that "with the report of the Screening and Evaluation
Committee now submitted to us we are going to the next level, that is
to say, we shall undertake content analysis of the reports with a view
to properly positioning the various support groups for the challenges
of the 2015 general election.

"We want to assure every support group irrespective of their sizes,
from two-man group to 20 million-man group that they are all important
to us and we shall carry them along."

He, however, appealed to the group to start the "process of stepping
down the structure and operations of their organisations to the Zonal,
State, Local Government Areas up to the Ward level.

"They should mobilise men, women and youths for the great task ahead."

The Chairman of the committee, GEn. Ibrahim said the President and the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should expect a stiffer opposition in
2015. Unlike 2011 when he said the opposition was not well orgainsed,
he said the situation has changed now.

He said, "We should expect a stiffer opposition in 2015 because the
opposition is now strong unlike in what we had in 2011. The party and
the Presidency should come up with a strategy that will ensure that
the President is returned to power in 2015."

He promised that the group will work to ensure a landslide victory for
President Jonathan.