President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday said that he was
quoted out of context in the statement he made on running
only a single term.
The president said this when he had an interactive session
with Islamic Clerics from South West region at the State
House, Marina, Lagos.
“I need to clarifiy this otherwise I do not need to talk about
it. This matter continues to come up.”
He said those who have been playing the tape where it was
shown that he had pledged to run only a single term had not
been sincere.
The President said that what happened was that late
President Umaru Yar’Adua came out with political reforms
when he, Jonathan was the Vice president.
Jonathan said that he was the chairman of the interparty
group of the committee set up by late Yar’adua to agree on
the president’s proposal for a single tenure.
He said the statement he made in Addis Ababa was within
the context of the proposal.'
“I made that statement in Addis Ababa, when I addressed
Nigerians. I made that statement after I had won elections.”
He said that he told the audience in Addis that that
recommendation would move the country forward.
“I was advising Nigerians in Addis Ababa and I made
mention of this issue of seven years of single tenure as
being the best for the country.”
“I now added that if Nigerians will agree to run a single
tenure of seven years I will not contest. That was the
statement I made.”
He said that he still believed in that recommendation in
order to prevent the waste of resources during re-election
bids of incumbents.
Jonathan said the section of the broadcast which featured
former president Obasanjo took place in 2011 during the
PDP presidential primary.
He said that he did not want to join issues with Obasanjo
because the party members were there for primaries and “I
just wanted to win my primaries”.
He reaffirmed his earlier stand that if Nigerians accept his
proposal of a single term of seven years, he would not re-
contest.
“Those who are advertising on television that I said I was
not going to contest a second tenure should play the whole
tape.”
Jonathan said people were diminishing the office of the
president because of politics.
He further said that even with the past campaign for the
2015 polls almost concluded, if Nigerians would accept that
single tenure of seven years, he would not bother to contest
the election.
He thanked the clerics for giving him the opportunity to
clarify the statement and urged them to continue to pray for
the unity and prosperity of the country,
Earlier the Chief Imam of Oriwu Central Mosque,
Ikorodu,Llagos, Sheikh Oshoala Ajagbemokeferi, had urged
the president to carry every Nigerian along in his
administration.
The Imam pledged support for the programmes of the
administration and urged the government to conduct a free,
fair election to win the favour of God. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL AND TOUCHING NIGERIAN CELEBRITIES BIOGRAPHY AND SCANDALS
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