Prof. Ango Abdullahi
NORTHERN ELDERS HAVE VOWED NOT TO THROW THEIR WEIGHT BEHIND PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN'S RUN FOR SECOND TERM....
As President Goodluck Jonathan declares his
intention to run for second term in 2015, leaders of the North, under the
auspices of the Northern Elders Forum, have expressed their decision to support
any presidential candidate presented by the All Progressives Congress in the
2015 election.
They expressed their grievances with the ruling
Peoples Democratic Party over the automatic ticket issued to President Goodluck
Jonathan to seek a second term in the election. This, the elders said, had
prevented aspirants from the North from contesting on the platform of the
party.
The national leadership of the PDP, including the
Board of Trustees, the National Executive Council and the National Working
Committee, had unanimously adopted Jonathan as the consensus presidential
candidate of the party.
In separate interviews with our correspondent on
Friday, the Deputy Chairman of the NEF, Dr. Paul Unongo and spokesperson of the
forum, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, stated that despite Jonathan’s power of incumbency
and the deployment of state resources at his disposal, he would not win the
election if the region voted against him.
He said, “Our position has not changed. We don’t
mind him contesting, but we are not going to work for him to become president of
this country again because we don’t believe that we have had any president that
has been so divisive; that has heightened religious tendencies, hatred, ethnic
militancy, high rate of impunity and a tremendous amount of insensitivity.
“The majority of northerners and the majority of
Nigerians will decide for us and for the APC. We are not into party politics,
but the APC has shown respect and deference to the North by allowing the North
to produce its (presidential) candidate. But the PDP shut the door, saying there
is nobody else but Jonathan; that he is the best for Nigeria. That is a lie.
“If not from the North, let somebody else come to
contest; we will support him.”
The Second Republic Minister of Steel decried the
abduction of over 200 Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram on April 14 and that they
remain in captivity over six months after.
He said despite the claim by the Federal
Government that it had reached a ceasefire deal with the sect and that the girls
would be released, the insurgents had continued to launch attacks and kidnap
more people.
Similarly, Abdullahi stated that the NEF would
carry out its threat to frustrate Jonathan’s re-election bid, as the President
had failed to secure the release of the Chibok girls before the end of
October.
The Presidency had dismissed the ultimatum issued
to Jonathan by the forum on August 11, 2014 to produce the Chibok girls or
forget about his 2015 ambition.
Abdullahi said, “We did not even put ‘if.’ He
should just forget about 2015. We cannot support him for 2015 for whatever
reason. What we said would only confuse those who doubt; we have never doubted
his failure. We have always believed that the man is incapable of running this
country.”
http://www.punchng.com/news/we-wont-support-jonathan-in-2015-northern-elders/
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