Facts emerged on Friday on how President Goodluck Jonathan battled some individuals, who were out to prevent a former vice-president and presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, from contesting the presidential primaries of the party.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Strategy, Documentation and Research, Mr. Oronto Douglas, said that Jonathan had insisted that he would not support any move to disqualify the former number two man from participating in the primaries.

Douglas said that those who did not want Abubakar’s participation in the primaries sent several petitions to the screening panel of the PDP in a bid to halt his participation.

The President’s aide made this comment while speaking on the outcome of the PDP convention with journalists in Abuja on Friday.

He said that Jonathan insisted that disqualifying Atiku under whatever guise would taint the conduct of the national convention of the party and could therefore affect his possible emergence as the presidential candidate of the party.

The President’s aide said that Jonathan maintained that it was his conviction that Nigerians in the PDP were better placed to decide who was most suitable to feature as the party’s candidate in the April polls.

According to him, the President said that if he lost the contest to Atiku, he was prepared to give his support to him in the interest of the party.

He added that Jonathan did not want the outcome of the party’s primaries to be marred by controversies.

He said, “The President insisted that no attempt should be made to disqualify Atiku. He said that disqualifying him would portray his emergence in bad light.

“Although there was a plethora of petitions against Atiku, and the President was really surprised, he insisted that Nigerians in the PDP should speak and that if they gave their support to Atiku as their anointed, he was ready to support him.

“The President did not want any form of controversy that could mar the primaries.”

The President’s aide, who also spoke on the confusion that was caused by the unexpected appearance of the chairman of the PDP, Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo, at the Eagle Square, venue of the primaries, in spite of a restraining court order, said that the Presidency did not suspect any foul play contrary to speculations in some quarters.

He said that Jonathan’s preoccupation was to ensure that things were done properly in strict adherence to the stipulation of the law.

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