Jonathan woos Benin chiefs for re-election bid

In a bid to gather more support from the South South geopolitical zone, President Goodluck Jonathan ha‎s urged traditional rulers in the Benin Kingdom to support his re-election bid, as a “son of the Benin palace.”‎Jonathan made the appeal on Friday, when his campaign team paid a courtesy visit to some palace chiefs at the Holy Arousa Cathedral, Benin, the traditional place of worship of the Oba of Benin.The Coordinator of the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who conveyed the message of the president, said the Jonathan administration had performed creditably well and deserved a second term in order to complete his good works in Edo and other parts of the country.Listed among the laudable Federal Government projects in the state are the rehabilitated Ofosu end of the Benin-Ore dual carriageway and the ongoing dualisation of Benin-Auchi-Okene road.Others are the approval for the building of a new Federal Government Girls’ College, to be sited at Ehor, and ongoing construction of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company headquarters at Iyekogba in Benin.While noting that the role of the Oba in national development was instrumental to the decision of the president to seek re-election, Ize-Iyamu urged the chiefs for royal blessings and support for the PeoplesDemocratic Party at all levels.“I therefore ask that you pray for him, as elders of the land, because in 2011, Edo South voted overwhelmingly for him and this time, he expects more from you. “He is not the only one contesting and voting for him alone may put him in danger, as he requires capable people to work with him at the national level. Therefore, he asked that our National Assembly and state Assembly candidates should also be voted for in this election,” he said.Also speaking, a former deputy governor of the state, Chief Lucky Imansuen, and the Edo South PDP senatorial candidate, Mr. Matthew Urhoghide, described the party’s presidential candidate as an achiever, whom they said was working “silently” to develop Nigeria.