The Abubakar Kawu Baraje-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday declared that after a review of the state of the nation and the pulse of Nigerians, President Goodluck Jonathan’s plan to seek re-election in 2015 “is not in the best interest of the country”
In a statement by its spokesman, Chukwuemeke Eze, the splinter group said although the president was yet to declare his intention to run, there were signs that he would in the long run.
“We are worried that Mr. President intends to run despite his earlier promise not to do so and in spite of the wise counsel of well-meaning Nigerians, including respected elder statesmen, “he said.
Eze recalled that in February, 2011, while interacting with Nigerians and diplomats working in the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, UNECA and the African Union, AU, in Ankara, Turkey, President Jonathan clearly stated: “I would have loved that the Nigerians in Diaspora vote this year (2011) but to be frank with you, that is going to be difficult now. Presently, the law does not allow the voting outside Nigeria and so this year Nigerians in Diaspora will not vote but I will work towards it by 2015 even though I will not be running for the election.” Mr. President went ahead to add: “Four years is enough for anyone in power to make significant improvement and if I can’t improve on power within this period, it then means I cannot do anything even if I am there for the next four years.”
The New PDP said the statement in Turkey was a historical fact which he cannot deny now, asking that “How does Mr. President want Nigerians and the entire world to see him for this volte face? Why can he not keep his words as a man of honour, instead of allowing himself to be misled by selfish advisers to go back on his words, thereby overheating the polity?” he asked.
Mr. Eze also urged the president to heed the advice of well-meaning Nigerians such as constitutional lawyer, Ben Nwabueze, and Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Olubunmi Okogie, who have advised him to stay away from the 2015 presidential race.
“By 2015, President Jonathan would have served our nation for six solid years. This, surely, is enough time for him to have achieved whatever he is capable of doing for Nigeria. What else is he looking for that is making him desperate to participate in the 2015 presidential election despite warnings that doing so may spark a chain of events capable of culminating into the country’s disintegration, thereby bringing to pass the predictions of Lord Lugard that Nigeria as a nation by 2014 maybe history, which was later confirmed by the USA Think-Tank that Nigeria may disintegrate by 2015.
“Apart from all these, should President Jonathan contest and win by 2015, it means he would have spent ten years in office and will be sworn in three times as the President of Nigeria against the provisions of the country’s constitution,” Mr. Eze said.
Commentaires