Barely two months after former president Olusegun
Obasanjo said in a letter that President Goodluck
Jonathan promised to serve one term, he has
restated that the president actually vowed to do so.
Speaking to Bloomberg News, a London-based
tabloid, yesterday, Obasanjo said during the 2011
electioneering, Jonathan promised to serve one
term.
“President Jonathan said, not only once, twice,
publicly, not only in Nigeria, outside Nigeria, that
he would have one term, and said that to me,”
Obasanjo said.
In the interview, Obasanjo challenged Jonathan to
be a man of his words while reminding the
president of the implication of not keeping vows.
“One of the things that is very important in the life
of any man or any person, is that he should be a
man or person of his word,” Obasanjo said, adding:
“If you decide your word should not be taken
seriously that’s entirely up to you.”
In the report, Bloomberg News stated that its effort
to reach Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to
the President, Dr. Reuben Abati, proved abortive as
his phones were switched off.
“Reuben Abati, Jonathan’s spokesman, could not be
reached on his mobile phone for comment, as it
was switched off,” Bloomberg News stated.
Ever since the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) released the timetable for next
year’s elections, there have been pressure on
Jonathan to declare his intention, as to whether or
not he would contest 2015 presidential election.
Though Jonathan has neither confirmed nor denied
his rumoured ambition to contest the election, the
issue has remained a thorn in the flesh of the
ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a
development that has given birth to pro-and anti-
Jonathan groups.
The pro-Jonathan group insists that the president
has the right to seek a second term and therefore,
should be given the platform to contest the 2015
election. The anti-Jonathan group has consistently
made reference to a supposedly 2011 promise
made by Jonathan not to seek a second term, a
claim the Presidency has repeatedly denied.
Obasanjo in a letter he wrote to Jonathan stated
that the president told him he would seek one term
in office. The letter read in part: “Up till two
months ago, Mr. President, you told me that you
have not told anybody that you would contest in
2015. I quickly pointed out to you that the signs
and the measures on the ground do not tally with
your statement. You said the same to one other
person who shared his observation with me.
“And only a fool would believe that statement you
made to me judging by what is going on. I must say
that it is not ingenious. You may wish to pursue a
more credible and more honourable path. Although,
you have not formally informed me one way or the
other, it will be necessary to refresh your memory
of what transpired in 2011. I had gone to Benue
State for the marriage of one of my staff, Vitalis
Ortese. Governor Suswam was my hospitable host.
“He told me that you had accepted a one-term
Presidency to allow for ease of getting support
across the board in the North. I decided to cross-
check with you. You did not hesitate to confirm to
me that you are a strong believer in a one-term of
six years for the president and that by the time you
have used the unexpired time of your predecessor
and the four years of your first term, you would
have almost used up to six years and you would
not need any more term or time. Later, I heard
from other sources including sources close to you
that you made the same commitment elsewhere,
hence my inclusion of it in my address at the finale
of your campaign in 2011…”
But in its reply to the former president’s letter,
President Jonathan said: “You quoted me as saying
that I have not told anybody that I will seek another
term in office in 2015. You and your ambitious
acolytes within the party have clearly decided to act
on your conclusion that ‘only a fool will believe that
statement’ and embark on a virulent campaign to
harass me out of an undeclared candidature for the
2015 presidential elections to pave the way for a
successor anointed by you.
“You will recall that you serially advised me that we
should refrain from discussing the 2015 general
elections for now so as not to distract elected
public officials from urgent task of governance.
While you have apparently moved away from that
position, I am still of the considered opinion that it
would have been best for us to do all that is
necessary to refrain from heating up the polity at
this time.
“Accordingly, I have already informed Nigerians that
I will only speak on whether or not I will seek a
second term when it is time for such declarations.
Your claims about discussions I had with you,
Governor Gabriel Suswam and others are wrong,
but in keeping with my declared stance, I will
reserve further comments until the appropriate
time.
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Obasanjo said in a letter that President Goodluck
Jonathan promised to serve one term, he has
restated that the president actually vowed to do so.
Speaking to Bloomberg News, a London-based
tabloid, yesterday, Obasanjo said during the 2011
electioneering, Jonathan promised to serve one
term.
“President Jonathan said, not only once, twice,
publicly, not only in Nigeria, outside Nigeria, that
he would have one term, and said that to me,”
Obasanjo said.
In the interview, Obasanjo challenged Jonathan to
be a man of his words while reminding the
president of the implication of not keeping vows.
“One of the things that is very important in the life
of any man or any person, is that he should be a
man or person of his word,” Obasanjo said, adding:
“If you decide your word should not be taken
seriously that’s entirely up to you.”
In the report, Bloomberg News stated that its effort
to reach Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to
the President, Dr. Reuben Abati, proved abortive as
his phones were switched off.
“Reuben Abati, Jonathan’s spokesman, could not be
reached on his mobile phone for comment, as it
was switched off,” Bloomberg News stated.
Ever since the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) released the timetable for next
year’s elections, there have been pressure on
Jonathan to declare his intention, as to whether or
not he would contest 2015 presidential election.
Though Jonathan has neither confirmed nor denied
his rumoured ambition to contest the election, the
issue has remained a thorn in the flesh of the
ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a
development that has given birth to pro-and anti-
Jonathan groups.
The pro-Jonathan group insists that the president
has the right to seek a second term and therefore,
should be given the platform to contest the 2015
election. The anti-Jonathan group has consistently
made reference to a supposedly 2011 promise
made by Jonathan not to seek a second term, a
claim the Presidency has repeatedly denied.
Obasanjo in a letter he wrote to Jonathan stated
that the president told him he would seek one term
in office. The letter read in part: “Up till two
months ago, Mr. President, you told me that you
have not told anybody that you would contest in
2015. I quickly pointed out to you that the signs
and the measures on the ground do not tally with
your statement. You said the same to one other
person who shared his observation with me.
“And only a fool would believe that statement you
made to me judging by what is going on. I must say
that it is not ingenious. You may wish to pursue a
more credible and more honourable path. Although,
you have not formally informed me one way or the
other, it will be necessary to refresh your memory
of what transpired in 2011. I had gone to Benue
State for the marriage of one of my staff, Vitalis
Ortese. Governor Suswam was my hospitable host.
“He told me that you had accepted a one-term
Presidency to allow for ease of getting support
across the board in the North. I decided to cross-
check with you. You did not hesitate to confirm to
me that you are a strong believer in a one-term of
six years for the president and that by the time you
have used the unexpired time of your predecessor
and the four years of your first term, you would
have almost used up to six years and you would
not need any more term or time. Later, I heard
from other sources including sources close to you
that you made the same commitment elsewhere,
hence my inclusion of it in my address at the finale
of your campaign in 2011…”
But in its reply to the former president’s letter,
President Jonathan said: “You quoted me as saying
that I have not told anybody that I will seek another
term in office in 2015. You and your ambitious
acolytes within the party have clearly decided to act
on your conclusion that ‘only a fool will believe that
statement’ and embark on a virulent campaign to
harass me out of an undeclared candidature for the
2015 presidential elections to pave the way for a
successor anointed by you.
“You will recall that you serially advised me that we
should refrain from discussing the 2015 general
elections for now so as not to distract elected
public officials from urgent task of governance.
While you have apparently moved away from that
position, I am still of the considered opinion that it
would have been best for us to do all that is
necessary to refrain from heating up the polity at
this time.
“Accordingly, I have already informed Nigerians that
I will only speak on whether or not I will seek a
second term when it is time for such declarations.
Your claims about discussions I had with you,
Governor Gabriel Suswam and others are wrong,
but in keeping with my declared stance, I will
reserve further comments until the appropriate
time.
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