The posters are canvassing support for Jonathan to seek a second term in 2015.
The posters, which were sponsored by a little known group, Nigerians Unity Project, were conspicuously displayed on walls in Wuse, Garki and bus stops in and around the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, on Monday.
Our correspondent noticed the posters had a picture of the President wearing a black bowler hat over a black attire, which has become a symbol of people from the South-South geo-political zone.
Above the poster, which is on a white and green background, was the inscription, “To keep Nigeria’s Unity Jonathan for Continuity in 2015.”
Beneath the President’s photograph is written, the “Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (North East) was given a second term in 1964; Alhaji Shehu Shagari (North West), was given a second term in 1983; Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (South West) was given second term in 2003, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan (South South) deserves second term in 2015.”
The group left the following phone contacts: 08120001166, 08188112221 and 07066640488.
When our correspondent put a call through to one of the numbers, a man, who identified himself as Igwe Kala Leo-Ugomaduefulle and National Leader of the group, answered.
According to him, the group did not need the support of either the President of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to do what they felt was a patriotic duty in the pursuit of justice and fairness.
He said, “We don’t need anybody’s prompting to do this. The President has not said he is going to contest or not but we are concerned about the unity of this country. It is the birth right of Mr. President to seek a second term if he so desires.
“To keep Nigeria one, we must ensure justice and fairness to all irrespective of where they come from, if you look at our posters very well, you will see the historical facts about those who were elected into office, why should President Jonathan’s case be different?”
Executive Secretary of the Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre, Mallam Awual Musa, said it was surprising that the issue was coming up at a time Nigerians were expecting improvements in their lives.
“I can’t understand our politicians, 2015 is two years away and already elected officials are strategizing on how to get power when they are yet to deliver on their existing mandate. If the Presidency is not behind this, it must find a way to stop it.”
In her reaction, the President of Campaign For Democracy, Dr. Joe Odumakin, said, “This does not augur well for the polity, the posters are clearly distractive for an apprentice President even a President with focus and capacity would be seriously under pressure with posters littered everywhere. He should halt it and let sanity prevail in our polity.”
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