Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, has openly rejected the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
Vanguard reports that though there had been speculation in the past, the indication emerged at the weekend when the governor openly aired his opposition to Jonathan’s candidacy at a PDP rally in Dutse on Saturday.
It was gathered that Lamido was unhappy with Jonathan over the way he had been treated by the leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party as well as the president’s unfulfilled promises to his state.
The event which was reportedly held at the state capital, was transmitted live via a private television station with national coverage. A move some politicians see as a loud and clear message to the Presidency.
It was further learnt that the organisers of the PDP rally deliberately and carefully avoided displaying the President’s posters throughout the event in an attempt for Lamido to prove his anger against Jonathan.
Meanwhile, the campaign posters of the governorship candidate of the PDP in the state and those of other contestants for the state and national elections were conspicuously and generously displayed.
The governor, rather than await the President to present the flags to the PDP candidates as is the custom of the party, went ahead to execute the task, apparently preventing Jonathan from performing the political tradition just before elections.
The rally which was well attended by the members of the state’s members of the party reportedly failed to canvass support for Jonathan throughout the event, including the candidates.
A source within the party in Dutse, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that Lamido felt bitter and betrayed by both Jonathan and the PDP for not doing any tangible project in his state after he had allegedly risked his life and that of his family members to work for Jonathan’s victory in 2011.
The source, who spoke on Sunday, further revealed that the refusal or the inability of Jonathan to undertake any of the four key projects, which he openly promised the people during his 2011 campaign, propelled the governor’s action and that of the people of the state.
It was learnt from some of the party chieftains that President Jonathan had promised to build a cargo airport in Dutse, reconstruct damaged federal roads that had been abandoned in the state for over 20 years, build a dam at Auyo and build a major waterworks in the capital; but the four promises are yet to be fulfilled with less than two months to the next general elections.
It was also revealed that the Federal Government had not contributed less than a billion naira out of the N15 billion that was spent by the state government in building Duste International Airport, which was commissioned on October 2, 2014, by Mr. President.
Another highly placed party source said Lamido was portrayed as a traitor and accused of working against the interest of the citizens because he supported Jonathan in 2011.
It would be recalled that Lamido had earlier given his thoughts on supporting Jonathan in 2011 and following him to the campaign against his people’s wishes.
