‘Stampeding Jonathan out of office could destroy Nigeria’

Former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha yesterday warned that forcing or stampeding President Goodluck Jonathan out of office without recourse to due process could spell doom for the Nigerian project.

According to him, any untoward act against Jonathan could lead to the birth of Niger Delta Republic.

Alamieyeseigha in an exclusive telephone interview with Saturday Vanguard against the backdrop of the escalating violence in the Northern part of the country and the recent call in some quarters on the President to quit office or better still not to contest the 2015 poll, said the Nigerian electorate alone have the right to decide who governs them and not the arm twisting tactics being employed by a clique.

Specifically, the former Bayelsa helmsman blamed the intractable crisis rocking the country on some of the elites whom for he alleged sees the country as belonging to them.

His words, “The problem with some of our elites is the thinking that they have Nigeria more than others. They are just selfish individuals. If they think they know more than any other person and that this country belonged to them then they have goofed.

“My advice to such Nigerians is to leave President Goodluck Jonathan alone to complete the mandate freely given by Nigerians. Attempts by individual or groups to stampede him out of office will be resisted. Let me also put them on notice that we have the capacity to declare who should be our leader.”

Alamieyeseigha said the President like any other Nigerian has the right to seek for re-election if he so desires, but “if he is convinced by himself that he is not interested in running for 2015 that decision will be taken by Goodluck and Goodluck alone.”

According to him, “If he presents himself to Nigerian people and Nigerian people did not vote for him then that is a different ball game but for any body to say or stampede him that he should not contest 2015 that person is unfair not only to him but we the people of the South South and we are not going to accept it. We cannot be stampeded by individual or group of persons to prevail on Goodluck not to contest 2015.

Source: Vanguard