The five governors of the south east have thrown their support for President Goodluck Jonathan to clinch the presidential ticket of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2011 elections. The support to the president is coming after the similar one from the PDP governors of South-West last month.

The South-East governors endorsement of the President Jonathan was announced after a meeting in Enugu, Enugu state where they sought the support of all delegates of the PDP from the South-East zone to vote massively for the President Jonathan/Vice President Namadi Sambo ticket in the forthcoming presidential primaries of the party.

The five South-East governors are Mr. Peter Obi (Anambra), Chief Theodore Orji (Abia), Chief Martin Elechi (Ebonyi), Dr Sullivan Chime (Enugu) and Chief Ikedi Ohakim (Imo). The governors have by this declaration ended many months of speculations of where the governors of the zone are standing.

The governors, in a seven-paragraph communiqu read after the meeting that lasted for over four hours at the Enugu Government House said they took the decision following the declaration by President Jonathan to vie for the post of president and in keeping with their earlier resolve to support for presidency any candidate with the best programme that would address the marginalization of the South-east zone and political imbalance in the country.

Anambra state governor, Mr. Peter Obi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) who read out the communiqu of the meeting as the chairman of the Forum, urged all the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the zone to vote en bloc for the President Jonathan/Namadi Sambo ticket in the forthcoming presidential primaries of the party.

Governor Obi's party, APGA, had earlier indicated interest to field a presidential candidate in the 2011 election.
The governors used the opportunity to thank President Jonathan for according the Akanu Ibiam Airport in Enugu to international airport and for giving directives for the construction of a new terminal building for the airport.