Northern governors have opted for a development-oriented president to run the nation’s affairs from 2015.
His characteristics should include ability to make the generality of Nigerians happy and contended,according to Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State.
The northern governors, at their last meeting in Kaduna,said the Presidency should return to that region in the next election.
Although, Governor Lamido, speaking against the backdrop of the meeting in an interview, did not say the governors have ditched or will ditch President Goodluck Jonathan,he said if the same governors who went against the interest of their own region in 2011 are now going in a different direction, then something fundamental must be wrong.
“The governors who made the comments were also the governors who made Jonathan their candidate in 2011. Now, if they are talking this way, then something is wrong because all the northern governors supported Jonathan in 2011 and by implication they went against the northern interest in 2015 because of Jonathan, didn’t they? If today they are singing a different tune, I want to believe that it was just because they were concerned about Nigeria,” he said.
“ I guess what we should be asking is: what is wrong? As a people, what we want is how to develop the country where we feel happy and contented. Nigerians don’t really care about who the President or governor or the Council chairman is, as long as their basic needs are met,”he added.
But he was quick to add that the North or indeed any part of the country could not go it alone in picking the nation’s president.
“What are we talking about? Is it a southern Nigeria President, northern Nigeria President or is it about a Nigerian President? If it is about Nigerian President, then all forces must sit down and discuss it because there is no way one bloc would say ‘I must have it.’ The north tried it last time but failed when Atiku, Gen. Babangida, Gen Aliyu, Bukola all contested and lost the PDP primaries. Then, Gen. Buhari a northerner from CPC contested in the main election, and what happened was history. So this is to prove that the North cannot give us a President all alone and so it is with the South. In other words, it must be a Nigerian consensus.”
He did not take kindly to the comment made by former military ruler, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, that there would be bloodshed should the 2015 elections be rigged.
His words: “We have to be cautious and stop talking bad about ourselves and that if something does not happen, heaven will fall. Heaven will not fall and if it falls, it will fall on Nigeria, not on another country.
“ If you say there is going to be war in Nigeria because you lost an election, it will only affect Nigerians who will be killing themselves. Whatever we say about ourselves, whether on election or whatever, we must think about our culture and discipline and think about how to support it but if you don’t, fair enough.
“ If Buhari says there would be war in 2015 because of one thing or the other, fair enough, because to me, the war can only affect Nigerians who will be killing themselves and northerners in particular.
“ I know there is no way people from the other regions will be killing each other because of Buhari, it is only the Hausaman who will be killing one another because of him.
“Why all this talk about war, bloodbath? We have to be cautious because I get worried when people who were honoured by God to lead us as Head of State begin to make grave statements that can adversely affect the greater majority of this country.
“ When we think of it, at one time, we were all Buhari’s citizens because he was privileged by God to lead us at one time. So, no matter how pained he is, being one time leader of this country, he must be worried that majority of us are going to die.”
Why Jonathan will run again -Clark
IJaw leader,Chief Edwin Clark, has declared that President Goodluck Jonathan will not be doing anything unusual by seeking a second term in office in 2015.
He said in Abuja on Thursday that the President, by contesting that election, would only be taking a cue from his predecessors in office all of whom sought and got a second chance.
Chief Clark said: “Former President Shehu Shagari contested the presidential election in 1979 and won and in 1983,he contested for a second term in office and won before he was ousted by the military, led by Maj-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).
“ Also,former President Olusegun Obasanjo contested the presidential election in 1999 and won and later contested for a second term in office in 2003 which he also won.
“Why should it be different in the case of President Jonathan?
“Jonathan is a Nigerian. Nigerians voted for him beyond religious and cultural differences. What we should be asking is that he should perform in office. If he performs, and the same Nigerians vote for him,he will have another term.”
He denied knowledge of any promise by the president to do only one term in office, saying:” I am not aware whether he made any commitment to contest for only one term to Nigerians which is irrelevant at the moment. Personal promises cannot override the constitution of Nigeria.”
