We won’t support Jonathan in 2015 —Northern elders

As President Goodluck Jonathan declares his intention to run for
second term in 2015, leaders of the North, under the auspices of the
Northern Elders Forum, have expressed their decision to support any
presidential candidate presented by the All Progressives Congress in
the 2015 election.
They expressed their grievances with the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party over the automatic ticket issued to President Goodluck Jonathan
to seek a second term in the election. This, the elders said, had
prevented aspirants from the North from contesting on the platform of
the party.
The national leadership of the PDP, including the Board of Trustees,
the National Executive Council and the National Working Committee, had
unanimously adopted Jonathan as the consensus presidential candidate
of the party.
In separate interviews with our correspondent on Friday, the Deputy
Chairman of the NEF, Dr. Paul Unongo and spokesperson of the forum,
Prof. Ango Abdullahi, stated that despite Jonathan's power of
incumbency and the deployment of state resources at his disposal, he
would not win the election if the region voted against him.
He said, "Our position has not changed. We don't mind him contesting,
but we are not going to work for him to become president of this
country again because we don't believe that we have had any president
that has been so divisive; that has heightened religious tendencies,
hatred, ethnic militancy, high rate of impunity and a tremendous
amount of insensitivity.
"The majority of northerners and the majority of Nigerians will decide
for us and for the APC. We are not into party politics, but the APC
has shown respect and deference to the North by allowing the North to
produce its (presidential) candidate. But the PDP shut the door,
saying there is nobody else but Jonathan; that he is the best for
Nigeria. That is a lie.
"If not from the North, let somebody else come to contest; we will support him."
The Second Republic Minister of Steel decried the abduction of over
200 Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram on April 14 and that they remain
in captivity over six months after.
He said despite the claim by the Federal Government that it had
reached a ceasefire deal with the sect and that the girls would be
released, the insurgents had continued to launch attacks and kidnap
more people.
Similarly, Abdullahi stated that the NEF would carry out its threat to
frustrate Jonathan's re-election bid, as the President had failed to
secure the release of the Chibok girls before the end of October.
The Presidency had dismissed the ultimatum issued to Jonathan by the
forum on August 11, 2014 to produce the Chibok girls or forget about
his 2015 ambition.
Abdullahi said, "We did not even put 'if.' He should just forget about
2015. We cannot support him for 2015 for whatever reason. What we said
would only confuse those who doubt; we have never doubted his failure.
We have always believed that the man is incapable of running this
country."
source-punchng.com