Former Information Minister Chief Edwin Clark
said yesterday that President Goodluck Jonathan must get second term like his
civilian predecessors.
Clark said this yesterday when he led elders
from the South-south and Middle-belt, under the umbrella of the Congress for
Equality and Change to the State House, Abuja yesterday.
Addressing Villa correspondents after the
close-door meeting which lasted for over two hours, the leader of the group, Clark,
said just like all other former elected presidents of the country, Jonathan is
entitled to seek a fresh presidential term in 2015.
“I’ll never lead a group that will be opposed
to 2015 (regarding Jonathan’s second term), not because Clark is saying so.
It’s written in the constitution of Nigeria. Shagari and Obasanjo did so.
Shagari’s second term was taken over by a military man.
“If Shagari was entitled to two terms why not
Jonathan? Is it because he is a minority? So, any group coming to meet Mr President
with a view that he should not contest in 2015, count me out. The group I’ve brought, we, the elders,
here believes that Mr President should contest in 2015 as the constitution
provide,” he said.
“We’re dialoguing with people to educate
people. You had your turn. For the past 50 to 53 years, we’ve not ruled in this
country. Are we not citizens of this country? Let’s be fair to one another. We
couldn’t have talked about 2015. It is because some people have started to say
that he’s not qualified to contest election in 2015, and those of us who believe
in it will educate them and that is what we’re doing. Whatever the president
said that in 2014 before he’ll decide that does not affect those who believe
that he has a right”.
“This was the meeting of the elders of the
Middle belt and the South-south. The middle belt is made up of North-central,
north-east and South-south, all together 19 states. Everybody in Nigeria is
equal to the other. Nobody is superior to the other. Nobody is inferior to the
other. That’s why we named our organization the Congress for Equality and
Change. There must be changes in this country,” Clark said.
Those present at the meeting are former Senate
President Ameh Ebute, Water Resources Minister Sarah Ochekpe, Housing and Urban
Development Minister Amma Pepple, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of
the Federation Mohammed Adoke, Works Minister Mike Onelememen, Minister of
Petroleum Resources Dieziani Allison-Madueke, Minister of State for Trade and
Investments Samuel Ortong, Minister of Information Labaran Maku, Special
Adviser to the President on Political Affairs Lawrence Onoja.
Source: Daily Trust
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