AS the nation prepares for the next general election, a strong indication emerged yesterday that some key northern traditional rulers, who spearheaded the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, are not ready to back his re-election in 2015.
The anger of the monarchs, Vanguard gathered, stems from what they see as a spirited attempt by the Presidency to deny an agreement President Jonathan allegedly reached with them before they gave their nod to his election in 2011.
A northern governor, who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity, pointed out that there was an unwritten understanding between the President and northern monarchs that he would not stay in office beyond 2015, if given the support to complete late former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s tenure and run for a term of four years.
The governor said it was wrong for those, who did not know what took place between the president and North to begin to whip up political sentiments, insisting that what transpired was a gentleman’s agreement that must be respected.
The governor said it was the unwritten undertaking reached between the North and Jonathan in 2011 that the Sultan of Sokoto made a veiled reference to at a meeting of Islamic scholars in Abuja last week.
The Sultan had said the North gave Jonathan a blueprint to work on and that they would evaluate implementation of same to decide on the way forward.
Kano politician, Dr. Junaid Muhammed, said Jonathan’s attempt to deny the deal he reached with the North was the basis for the renewed anger in the region.
Muhammed said: “That agreement is the basis of the anger against the President and they can no longer trust him. If an agreement with northern governors is not respected, what of the one the President had with the emirs and other leaders of the area that he would do a single term and return power to the North?
“It is left to Jonathan to show statesmanship and respect the deal before during and after his election because it is dangerous to disagree with emirs in the North.”
Niger State governor, Dr. Aliyu Babangida, was the first to accuse President Jonathan of trying to breach the agreement he reached with northern governors in 2011 to do a single term of four years, thereby setting the stage for a bitter confrontation with the President and his hordes of supporters, particularly his kinsmen from Ijaw ethnic nationality.
Some Niger Delta militants and youth leaders had threatened to cause mayhem should Jonathan be prevented from doing a second term.
Although they were cautioned by the National Assembly, an attempt to open investigation into the statement, which many saw as treasonable, met with serious resistance from the youth leaders who threatened further actions against the lawmakers.
There has been no word again on the matter from the legislature.
Vanguard
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The Niger delta is feeding the north while they moan about everything and have done nothing for this Country in all the decades of their rule. The game is up and there will be a stalemate of which they will lose out and see themselves in a different country by 2015 from the rest of Nigeria. People have opened their eyes and see them as a liability. He who pays the piper...?
ReplyDeleteNonsense. All Nigerians pay the piper not u alone. Can u chop oil? What about the food from the North? What about the solid minerals resources? For God's sake stop threatening others. The country belongs to all of us. We are going nowhere.
ReplyDeleteWho are these so called northern elders/monarchs and what or who gave them the right and audacity to dictate who runs for president?
ReplyDeleteWhich gentleman agreement? Did the North vote for Jonathan? This is a blind talk and very unreasonable.
ReplyDeleteDis northerners is presidency their Birth rite? If dey no like jonathan make dem go Hug transformer..38 yrs neva do them..
ReplyDeleteGEJ has not served the good of the north or south or east or west.
ReplyDeleteToday, electricity is still a dream in any part of Nigeria. Corruption, poverty and youth unemployment are increasing in all parts of Nigeria. Who is fooling who? It is not about north, east, south or west.
We do not want another PDP-led government in 2015. After more than a decade of hopelessness, Nigerians should grow up.
Huuunm Thy will be done O Allah.For You know what we know not.
ReplyDeleteSome people dont seem to no that Nigerian belong to all up us but in the begining Nigerian belong to allmighty Allah (God) and he is the one that make Nigeria to stay all this years.Befor the discovered of oil Nigerian use the money made from d sales of all tapes of agriculture & food items that comes from the North. And some people want Nigeria to divede into two the North & the South.ok if nigerian divede into two are you people think that Igbo & yoruba will live in one country. No they to want to parth so Nigeria will divede into Three. And u people shuold loke out Sudan & South Sudan taday is two years of there seperation but up till now they are still at war with them self. And i want u people to no the way your people dominet the North especially Niger State were i am in the north which you will find a okada rider,taxi driver,bulkernizer, mechanic,breclare haven there on Houses no to talk of several lands all this are Igbo & yoruba. Just two days ago one of a yoruba man in my area pack in to his own house that he just build in Minna Niger state. so can u people tell me any of this set of people who i mention and northern that own a plot of land of 50/50 square meter in south south, south east, south west. No because u dont want a northern to have anything in your place but yet we love your people we toke you as we are all one Nigerian. way the hatred and some of your people we live in d same area here in minna say for them to go back to south to stay there forever they rader die here in d north. And some of them are my friends we even sleep together in my house and for over 35 years of my life there is your people who i know they have never go for crismas or new year in there home tonw or state in the south.way their people are weaked and they love it here in the north because with your #500 naira you will buy a food of one week in ur house can u buy food of one week with #500 naira in the south. ans no is ally a food of one day.but yet some useless people saying let Nigerian divede. Ok let Nigerian divede and see who is going fill the heart. North or South but every body will fill it.
ReplyDeleteI dont blame them but blame the once shoeless boy who cant keep promise & at d same time not perforning.
ReplyDeleteJonathan is a weak link, dat is d truth d whole truth and nothin bt the truth.
ReplyDeleteOk! if there was agreement before Jonathan came in as president as they had rightly pointed out, why the bormbing and killing of innocent Nigerians by BOKO HARRAM just at the start of his administration?
ReplyDelete