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Presidential Poll: How Jonathan, Ahmadu Ali Averted Crisis- Vanguard - Politics

Presidential Poll: How Jonathan, Ahmadu Ali Averted
Crisis- Vanguard

But for President Goodluck Jonathan and Director-
General of his campaign organisation, Dr Ahmadu Ali,
the outcome of the presidential election would have
ended in chaos.
Prior to the announcement of the All Progressives
Congress, APC, presidential candidate, General
Muhammudu Buhari, by the Independent National
Electoral Committee, INEC, as president-elect, Jonathan
had called to congratulate him.
Investigations revealed that from the outset, Jonathan
did not want violence before, during and after the
election.
A very reliable source told Sunday Vanguard: “In
Jonathan’s reckoning, as well as Ahmadu Ali, even
though there were irregularities in the North and South,
the peace and stability of Nigeria was far more
important.”
Considering the tension the electioneering campaigns
had generated across the country, it was felt that
conceding even before the final announcement of
election results would douse tension.
The source explained that to put the APC leadership on
its toes and dismiss the notion that the PDP tried to
manipulate the electoral process, “it was agreed that
congratulating the APC and General Buhari ahead of
time would force the APC to begin to focus more on the
transition and governance than on politicking.”
To achieve this objective, according to the source, “a
meeting of the PDP Campaign Organization and the
National Working Committee, NWC, of the party was
called last Tuesday afternoon.”
It was at the meeting that the president and his
PDPPCO DG “made their points”, the source stated.
The source disclosed that Ali’s close relationship with
Jonathan helped to create a synergy between the Villa
and the Campaign Directorate such that each had the
other’s confidence.
Though the APC cast aspersion on the President, the
source said the campaign organisation refused to throw
mud.
“All through the campaigns, it would have been noticed
that Ali cautioned against the use of incendiary words,”
the source explained.
“And Ali was never heard using hate language all
through the campaign. Ali helped to properly organise
and structure the campaign. Ali also worked tirelessly
with other leaders of the party like the BoT Chairman,
Chief Tony Anenih, to bring together the many
tendencies within the party for unity.”