Former President of the Senate in the truncated Third Republic, Senator Ameh Ebute, has called on the northern region to allow President Goodluck Jonathan complete his tenure before power rotates back to the region.
He declared that the North Central geo-political zone was not part of the agitation for a return of power to the North in 2015.
Ameh Ebute vacated political scene for legal profession after military coup interrupted their dispensation. During his short reign, he made tremendous impact in the National Assembly by challenging certain executive excesses and inadequacies.
While fielding questions from newsmen in Lagos recently, the former Senator declared that the North Central wants President Goodluck Jonathan to complete his second term before power could moved to another zone.
Ebute called on the north to exercise patience till Jonathan completes his second tenure in office.
He said, “My advice to them is that they should wait until President Goodluck Jonathan completes his second term since by divine providence, the zoning has automatically fallen on the South-South.
“So the North, whose definition I am not too sure includes the Middle Belt, should wait until the person God has given the presidency completes his second term and as soon as he completes his second term, one can now argue that the turn should now come to the North and that North, should include all the zones in the North, not only the North-West.
He said, “Why should the north be disenchanted? I am part of the north and that is why I ask whether we are all part of the north they are speaking about.
We started this presidential system in 1979 when President Shehu Shagari was the president for four years, he entered the second term when the military took over from him. The head of the military that took over from him (Buhari) was from the north, then almost one year (one and a half) into office, another northerner, IBB took over from Buhari and was in office for nine years. “Then from IBB, you had Abacha who was in office for five years and Abacha died and Abdulsalami was in office for another one year and yet, nobody complained. The people who were at the helm for 16 years were all northerners and there was no Boko Haram and nobody organized anything to distabilise the polity.
“So why should the north be bitter for the eight years that President Goodluck Jonathan is going to be in office?
“It will soon be the turn of the north and they should be patient enough. If Nigerians could be patient when these people I have mentioned were in office, then why shouldn’t they be patient when other persons are in office? Does that mean that the presidency belong to them? Nigerians say no, the presidency does not belong to any particular zone.
The former number three citizen, while reacting to Ango’s statement, he said, “I am not a member of the Arewa Consultative Forum or the Northern Elders Forum. Whether he is speaking for Arewa Consultative Forum or Arewa Elders Forum, it is left to Ango Abdullahi. I don’t know anything that is happening within those organizations. But I assure you that apart from the members of the Arewa Elders Forum and Arewa Consultative Forum, there are millions of other northerners that believe in the administration of Goodluck Jonathan.
“So when one person representing a few people being funded by the governors and holding press conferences virtually everyday, he is putting up his own ideas. You cannot say that the ideas are supported by everybody within that zone.
“I agree that he must be speaking for some people, but they are not the majority in that zone.”
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