Written by Bolaji Ogundele, Dipo Laleye, Isaac Shobayo, Leon Usigbe and Idowu Samuel Tuesday, 27 July 2010
POLITICAL stakeholders in the South-South region on Monday unanimously endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2011 presidential election just as it called for the support of the North and other geopolitical zones.
In a 13-point communiqué read by Professor Julius Ihonvbere at the end of a one-day summit with the theme “Dynamics of the 2011 Presidential Election in Nigeria – The South-South Perspective,” the South-South urged President Jonathan to immediately declare his intentions to the Nigerian people.
The communiqué noted that the Nigerian constitution gave full rights to President Jonathan to aspire to the position of the president, arguing that the zone, in spite of its enormous contributions to the country’s GDP, was yet to produce a president in 50 years of Nigeria’s existence.
While acknowledging the resolutions of the Northern Political Summit in Kaduna State recently, the summit commended them for patriotism and commitment to fair play.
The communiqué acknowledged the efforts of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua (GCFR) at repositioning the country by entrenching due process, rule of law and fight against corruption, saying their support for President Jonathan and Vice-President Namadi Sambo was to enable them to actualise the late president’s reform agenda.
The South-South stakeholders expressed confidence in President Jonathan’s resolve to give Nigerians credible electoral reforms, by appointing a world-acclaimed social crusader, Professor Attahiru Jega, as the country’s electoral umpire, and called on all Nigerians to support the full implementation of the Justice Uwais Committee recommendation which includes total independence of INEC.
The summit particularly acknowledged the power sector agenda of President Jonathan, his crusade against corruption, historic achievement in the improvement in the country’s foreign reserves and his efforts at ensuring security for all Nigerians.
The summit resolved as follows:
“To work assiduously and in unison with other geopolitical zones in Nigeria to ensure the country remains one, indivisible, secular entity, where all peoples, irrespective of ethnicity, religion, party affiliation, of equal rights and privileges as enshrined in the Nigeria Constitution.
“Summit recognises that it is time to collectively transcend primordial sentiments and dispositions in the conversations of national affairs in order to build strong, viable and democratic blocs for peace and progress. The South-South can only make progress when the leaders, communities and constituencies unite, work together, strategise together and speak with one voice.
“The summit acknowledges and commends the efforts of the governors of the South-South region towards bringing development and unity to the region.
“The summit appreciates and acknowledges the enormous efforts and contributions our detribalised and great democrat, the late President Umaru Yar’Adua (GCFR) at entrenching due process, the rule of law and fight against corruption for peace in the Niger Delta region through the amnesty
programme, reforms in the power and energy sector, as well as electoral reforms, as well as giving a level playing field for all politically-inclined Nigerians to attain their aspirations.
“The summit, however, notes with deep sorrow and regrets that the inevitable call of nature could not allow our late president to accomplish these reformatory agenda.
“Arising from the above, the summit resolves to support the winning team of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR) and Vice-President, Mohammed Namadi Sambo (GCON) in their quest to take the reform agenda to a logical conclusion for the benefit of all Nigerians.
“Summit believes in President Jonathan’s resolve to give Nigerians credible electoral reforms, which began by appointing a world-acclaimed social crusader and defender of equity, honesty and integrity, Professor Attahiru Jega, the country’s new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and calls on all Nigerians to support the full implementation of the Justice Uwais Committee recommendation which includes total independence of INEC.
“Summit notes with delight, the power sector agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan, his crusade against corruption, the historic achievement in the improvement in our foreign reserves and his earnest practical efforts at ensuring practical security of all Nigerians at home and in the disapora.
“In addition, summit acknowledges and commends the untiring efforts of Mr. President to reposition Nigeria and rekindle the confidence of the international community in Nigeria’s political system.
“Summit acknowledges and fully appreciates the resolutions of the recently held Northern Political Summit in Kaduna and urges all Nigerians to support President Goodluck Jonathan in the onerous task providence has bestowed on him to move Nigeria forward beyond 2011.”
“Summit commends the Northern Political Summit for their patriotism, clear vision, commitment to fair play and justice and undiluted appreciation of the rights and liberties of all Nigerians.
“Summit believes in the incontrovertible position of the Nigerian constitution that gives full rights to President Goodluck Jonathan above all other considerations to aspire to the position of the president at the 2011 elections, more so, the zone, in spite of its enormous contributions to the Gross Domestic Products (GDP), is yet to produce a president or head of state in the 50 years of Nigeria’s existence as a sovereign nation.
“Summit hereby unanimously calls on Dr Jonathan to openly declare his interest in the 2011 presidential election without further delay, while assuring him of total and undiluted support of the entire South-South, summit calls on all other geopolitical zones, organisations, communities and constituencies to support quest to deepen, widen and consolidate democracy by supporting Jonathan for president,” the communiqué read.
Meanwhile, as the Northern Governors’ Forum meet today in Kaduna, to decide on the zoning formula of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), indications have emerged that the governors are under intense pressure to reject the zoning formula.
Their position is crucial to the political future of President Jonathan, who has not declared whether he will run for the 2011 elections or not.
At their last meeting, the governors could not make a decision on the zoning issue, but they resolved that they should go back to their states to consult with the elders in their domain and reconvene today for a final push on the matter.
However, the Niger State government has said it will abide by the decision of the forum when they meet in Kaduna today.
He also said in Minna, on Monday, that zoning or no zoning, Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu would contest the 2011 goverorship election.
Director, Media and Publicity to the Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulkhadir, said the people of Niger State had expressed their preference for zoning to be retained, adding that “our decision cannot be binding on the majority.
“We will follow the decision of the majority,” Abdu-khadir said.
He said the decision of Governor Aliyu to contest, “zoning or no zoning,” was informed by the fact that the people had told him to continue in office beyond 2011 and the governor himself was prepared to continue to serve the people.
At a mass rally in Kontagora, last year, Governor Aliyu was endorsed as the PDP candidate for the 2011 election.
The governor, last month, forwarded his letter of intent to the PDP secretariat.
The state PDP had already zoned the governorship of the state to Niger East senatorial district, the area of the incumbent governor.
Ahead of today’s meeting in Kaduna, the Plateau State coordinator of President Goodluck Jonathan Support Group, Mr Bulus Dareng, has said nothing would make the state and the entire North-Central change their position on zoning.
Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune in Jos, Dareng, who said Plateau State had since made its position known on zoning through its governor, Jonah Jang, added that various stakeholders in Plateau State had, at different fora, equally frowned on zoning.
He said the recent pronouncement of Ambassador Yahaya Kwande that Plateau State was in support of zoning was just a ploy to deceive the country, adding that the people of the state had spoken and declared their support for President Jonathan to contest in 2011.
“There is nothing like monolithic North any more. What some people call the North is just 19 independent states capable of taking decision individually. We are talking of democracy, the myth of the North is no longer there and nobody has a blank cheque for the North,” he said.
According to him, the group canvassing for zoning in the North was speaking for itself, not for the North as a whole. If you check their backgrounds, its members were those who wanted the status quo to be maintained for their selfish interest.
“Those who want the status quo maintained are the ones behind zoning, they want to keep recycling themselves to the detriment of the common man and we have matured enough as a nation to abandon zoning.
“Anybody who is still talking about zoning in these modern times does not wish the country well,” he said.
Dareng advised former heads of state, General Ibrahim Babangida and General Muhammadu Buhari, to stay away from politics and play an advisory role, adding that it was morally wrong for them to be scheming to become president again.
Meanwhile, the Good-luck Nigeria Group (GNG), has written to the Northern Governors’ Forum, explaining why its members should support the call to do away with the zoning policy of the PDP and pave the way for Jonathan to run in the 2011 presidential election.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja, on Monday, its national coordinator, Mr Cyril Ezeani, said the group was uncomfortable with the apparent opposition of sections of the North to the possible participation in the election by President Jonathan.
He said the North should realise that it was no longer monolithic and wondered why those who claimed to be speaking for the region on the issue believed they had the mandate of the entire region.
The group argued that the presence of President Jonathan today in the seat of power was by providence, which, it said, had “given us once in-a-million-years opportunity to get things right in this country.”
It added that “the current shadow boxing over the zoning of political offices by persons and groups who try to present themselves as speaking for the North is ill-advised, retrogressive and designed to embarrass the majority of our northern brothers and sisters who see no merit in the incoherent clamour of a vocal few.
“The primary concern of all well-meaning Nigerians today is to be part of a new Nigeria that places higher national interest above temporary political contrivances which only emphasise the things that divide us, undermine trust and a feeling of oneness,” he said.
The GNG further observed that the zoning in PDP, which some people in the North were clamouring for, had been virtually non-existent, as it had been violated since 1999.
“We should also ask which North is insisting on zoning. There are three geopolitical zones in the so-called North and Nigerians would like to know whether it is the North-East, North-West or North-Central that is said to be talking.
“Nigerians will also be interested to find out if there has been a conference of the North at which a vote was taken and some people were thereafter mandated to make their position known to other Nigerians.
“Our group will not raise any issues if the North that is insisting on ‘zoning’ is a purely imaginary entity, existing as a figment of some people’s imagination.
“It is not within our purview to question the contents of anyone’s imaginative faculty.
“We shall only observe that there are northern members of other political parties besides the PDP and the growing pretence that there is some monolithic North which has taken a position on key national issues is a delusion for which some people need a quick and lasting cure.
“We are here to assure the world that there is no such entity and no such consensus,” the group declared.
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