The duo in seperate interviews with journalists in Lagos yesterday
said President Goodluck Jonathan should be allowed to run for presidency
in 2015 in the interest of unity of the country.
Clark said Jonathan should be allowed to contest for the 2015
presidency, noting that Northerners should wait till 2019 after Jonathan
would have completed his second term.
His words: “We of the South South believe that it is the interest of
Nigeria and the unity of our country that Jonathan should contest. No
one should strike him out. Movement of power or power rotation is not
proper at this time. In the Constitution of Nigeria every president has
two elections to be contested.
Alhaji Shehu Shagari did it in 1979 and in 1983 he did it again. Then
in 1999, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo did it and in 2003 he contested again.
In 2007, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua Umaru of blessed memory did it and if he
had remained alive, he would have done it again in 2011. So Jonathan is
not a different person, he is a Nigerian, the president of Nigeria.
Therefore, he too has the right to contest again, nothing new about
it because Constitiution says you must contest for two elections and
rule for eight years, its only then you are disqualified. “Who owns the
country more than anybody? Nigeria belongs to all of us and there is
nobody who is superior to another. If you are talking about peace, peace
for who? So if a Northerner does not rule this country won’t there be
peace.
They have ruled for over 38 years, we have only ruled from the South
for less than 14 years, and when Lugard united this country, he didn’t
say the North is superior to the South. We are all equal in this
country, and anybody can aspire to the highest position in this country,
so nobody has the prerogative to rule others. “There is an incumbent
who had not done a second term, so North had no place. It is not yet the
turn of the North.
They (North) have the right to contest as a Nigerian in other
political parties. In 1979, Shagari contested with others but in 1983 he
alone contested the primary even though there were men of timber and
caliber in NPN who would have contested with him at that time, but the
party gave it to him unopposed. We don’t believe in double standard.”
Also speaking on the 2015 presidency, Alamieyeseigha said there would
be no vacancy in Aso Rock, stressing that President Jonathan would
remain as the Commander-in-Chief by 2015.
His words: “Aso Rock is not vacant. The northern agitators will all
at the appropriate time join the moving train. “Those against President
Jonathan contesting for presidency in 2015 may have their opinion, but I
can assure you that President Jonathan will remain as the President of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria, come 2015.”
Speaking on the state of insecurity in the country vis-a-vis the
declaration of state of emergency in three states in the North,
Alamieyeseigha said that he was confident that in less than two months
insecurity problems would be over. “I think the restiveness would stop.
You can see what the military has done so far in those areas. I am
confident that in less than two months insecurity would be over.”
The government of any country has a duty under the constitution to
protect lives and property and if they failed to do so, there is no
government and that is what government is doing. Declaring a state of
emergency would give the military more powers to discharge their
duites,” he said. Reacting to the growing criticism that followed his
state pardon by President Jonathan, the former Bayelsa State governor
said.
“Well, it (state pardon) started during Late President Yar’Adua. It
was a pardon that was negotiated. People who don’t know what happened
are the ones talking. But if I open my mouth, those who are talking will
keep quiet. “President Goodluck Jonathan was part of the negotiating
team.
There is no person in this country that knows issues surrounding
Alameiseigha better than Mr President. He was my deputy governor and all
that transpired were known to him. I am already writing my memoir. At
the appropriate time, you will know.
“My pardon was in order. Like I said, the pardon was negotiated and
if I fulfill my own part of the bargain, why shouldn’t federal
government fulfill its part? President Yar’Adua actually brokered the
state pardon deal for me, otherwise they would have even killed me.
Without Yar’Adua, I would have died by now,” he said.
----the sun
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