Political Economist

Top Menu

  • Home
  • About us
  • Contact us

Main Menu

  • Local News
  • World News
  • Business & Economy
  • Sports
  • Commentaries
  • Home
  • About us
  • Contact us

logo



Political Economist

  • Local News
  • World News
  • Business & Economy
  • Sports
  • Commentaries
  • COVID-19: Community health workers must be better supported in 2021, the Year of the Healthcare Worker – global health technology experts 

  • WIKE MAKES HISTORY, OTHERS MAKE EXCUSES; BY PAULINUS NSIRIM

  • Still too early to gauge how AfCFTA will affect sports, entertainment industry – Centurion Law Group

  • PEBEC receives report exposing pitfalls in some govt. agencies

  • Founder Institute releases list of Lagos Ecosystem Canvas v2

Local News
Home›Local News›2015: Cold war in Aso Rock over Jonathan candidacy

2015: Cold war in Aso Rock over Jonathan candidacy

By Admin
July 17, 2013
326
0
President-Goodluck-Jonathan
President-Goodluck-Jonathan

President-Goodluck-Jonathan

The unvoiced intention of President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2015 presidential election has torn the nation’s seat of power, Aso Rock, from top to bottom as political gladiators on both sides of the divide are bent on outsmarting one another.  A presidency source told our correspondent that there is growing distrust in the Villa between forces sympathetic to a Jonathan 2015 candidacy and those who would not hear that even as a whisper.

A presidency source said some Northern elements in the Villa are already baying for Mr President’s blood in the event that he serves a formal notice that he would run. “The truth is that some Northerners in the cabinet of President Jonathan  are spearheading a surreptitious campaign to undermine the president if he decides to run. They are using every tactic to pull the carpet right under the feet of the president. They feel it is the turn of the North come 2015”, the source said.

Former President Chief Olusegun   Obasanjo in spite of his open condemnation of Jonathan, is believed to be the arrowhead of the pro-Jonathan campaign. He was said to be enjoying the support of Jonathan’s Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiadomhe who is marshaling a troop in the Villa to ensure that the PDP hierarchy buys into the project.

However, they are up against a stiff wall from a growing army of anti-Jonathan 2015 presidency coalition some of whom are holding key positions in the current cabinet of President Jonathan. “The matter, unfortunately, has been reduced to a North-South affair rather than the merit or otherwise of the Jonathan candidacy. By law, Jonathan has a right to contest in 2015. Although at this time, I cannot elaborate on this since the matter is before the court of law with threats from other persons to approach the court should Jonathan insist on contesting. This is a bridge, when we get there we will surely cross it”, the source said.

It would be recalled that during his electioneering days for the 2011 presidential election,  President Jonathan categorically said he would do only one term if elected. However, barely one year into his reign as a democratically elected president, there is a grand move to  compel the president to swallow his word. Some hawks in the PDP and henchmen in the Presidency are said to be orchestrating the plot. Our source could not confirm if the scheme to compel him to run has the tacit support of the president but he was emphatic that Mr President was not unaware of the scheme. ”The president’s men are behind the plot so he knows but he has never to the best of my knowledge reprimanded them or urged them to continue”, said the source who is very familiar with the workings of the Presidency.

President Goodluck Jonathan had told an Abuja High Court that he has not declared interest  in the 2015 presidency, adding that he is currently running his first term of four years as provided by the 1999 Constitution.

He was responding to a suit seeking to stop him from contesting for the 2015 presidential election by a chieftain of his party, Cyracus Njoku. In his affidavit filed by his lawyer, Mr. Are Okeaya-Ineh (SAN), Jonathan stated that he had not indicated or announced anywhere that he would be contesting for the presidential election in 2015.

In the suit pending before Justice Muddier Onion, the plaintiff is seeking to stop Jonathan from contesting the 2015 presidential race on the grounds that he is already serving his second term. The suit was a fall-out of the declaration by the President last month that he is serving his first term. He also said the President cannot swear to an oath thrice in the light of Section 137(1) (b) of the Constitution.

Other respondents are the PDP (second respondent), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the third respondent.

However, in a 15-paragraph counter-affidavit deposed to by Mr. Osaka Okeaya-Inneh, a legal practitioner in the law firm of Mr Are Okeaya-Inneh (SAN), Jonathan described the suit as frivolous and vexatious, failing to disclose reasonable cause of action.

Mr. Okeaya-Inneh said: “I am a counsel in the law firm of Are Okeaya-Inneh and Co., counsel to the first defendant in this suit, by virtue of which I am conversant with the facts of this case, I have the consent and authority of the first defendant/respondent to depose to this affidavit

 

“When my law firm was briefed by the first defendant to represent him in this action, I, together with Mr Matthew Aikhionbare (Senior Special Assistant to the President) and Dr. Reuben Abati (Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President) meticulously went through the 11-paragraph affidavit of the plaintiff in support of his originating summons. “The first defendant is currently doing his first term of four years in office as the president of Nigeria as provided by the 1999 Constitution as amended.

‘The first defendant’s status and position are formidable and backed by the 1999 Constitution.

‘The Constitution of Nigeria only makes provisions for a president to contest for not more than two terms of four years each.

‘The Constitution recognizes the Executive President’s tenure of office to be four years. “I was informed by Dr Reuben Abati on April 4, 2012 at about 5.30 pm in his office and I verily believe that the first defendant has not indicated or announced anywhere whether in words or in writing that he will contest for the presidential election to be conducted in 2015.‘The late President Umaru Yar’Adua contested and won the presidential election conducted in 2007 for a one term of four years. He was the president from May 29, 2007 until sometime in May 2010 when he passed on. Yar’Adua’s four years was to end in 2011”, he said.

 

Jonathan averred further that on May 6, 2010, he was sworn in as the president after the demise of President Yar’Adua, thereby completing Yar’Adua’s 12 months of the four-year tenure. He declared once more that this is the first time he is coming to power as the president of Nigeria through a conducted election wherein he was voted as the presidential candidate of his party, PDP.

The President told the court that the plaintiff did not attach copies of his recent Tax Clearance Certificate from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and his PDP membership card as proof of who he claims to be. Consequently, he asked the court to discountenance the suit as it was meant to make the court labour in futility because the suit is purely an academic exercise.

The plaintiff, however, through his counsel, Mr. Oscars Ugochukwu, raised two questions for determination by the court. They are: ‘Whether Section 135(2) of the Constitution which specifies a period of four years in Office for the President is only available or applicable to a person elected on the basis of an actual election or includes one in which a person assumes the position of President by operation of law as in the case of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan; and ‘Whether Section 137(1) (b) of the 1999 Constitution which provides that a person shall not be qualified for election to the Office of President if he had been elected to such office at any two previous elections applies to the first defendant who first took an oath of office as substantive President on May 6, 2010 and took a second oath of office as President on May 29, last year’.

 

Tagsmainnewsmainnews2recommended
Previous Article

Amaechi: Bribe tears Senate panel on ...

Next Article

Chinese girl electrocuted by iPhone, family claims

Related articles More from author

  • Local News

    Jonathan May Extend IGP Abubakar’s Tenure as Lobbyists Kick

    June 11, 2014
    By Admin
  • Local News

    House probes MMM scheme, Nigerians say ‘we have no regrets’

    November 10, 2016
    By Admin
  • Local News

    Buhari Condemn Paris Attacks as Survivors Recount Ordeal

    November 15, 2015
    By Admin
  • Local News

    Group Knocks Oyegun over Comments on Supreme Court Judgments, Says He is Shedding ‘Old Man’s Crocodile Tears’

    February 7, 2016
    By Admin
  • Local News

    Under-Age Voting Dogs Election in the North

    March 29, 2015
    By Admin
  • World News

    South Africa’s Zuma ‘disappointed’ by court ruling over corruption charges

    October 13, 2017
    By Admin

You may be interested

  • Local News

    Gov. Emmanuel Urges ICPC to Prosecute on Conviction Not on Directive

  • Local News

    Police in Niger record zero crime during Easter festivities – Dibal Yakadi

  • World News

    China’s Xi offers another $60 billion to Africa, but says no to ‘vanity’ projects

Fidelity Advert
  • LATEST REVIEWS

  • TOP REVIEWS

  • NDIC Pays N1.45bn to Over 16,000 Depositors of 34 Closed DMBs in 2017– Report

    0
  • Gboko killings: Police DPO under interrogation, others arrested —CP

  • NSE market indices drop by 1.64% after Christmas holidays

    0

    Timeline

    • January 25, 2021

      Miyetti Allah backs end to night grazing, sues for peace

    • January 25, 2021

      Rivers Govt issues a disclaimer as Wike’s Presidential  campaign posters flood Abuja

    • January 25, 2021

      Drug abuse: NDLEA to seek govt’s approval to test university students, security agencies, govt. appointees, others

    • January 25, 2021

      47-year-old man docked for illegally distributing NIN form

    • January 25, 2021

      PIB: Senate begins a 2-day public hearing

    Latest Comments

    • Justopec
      on
      April 24, 2017
      Good one for the NPF.

      Police foil another suicide bomb attempt in Borno, kill three bombers

    • Justice Shedrack
      on
      April 24, 2017
      Nice

      Police foil another suicide bomb attempt in Borno, kill three bombers

    • Anonymouse
      on
      February 8, 2017
      This is nice...

      Qatar Airways makes history, completes first longest non-stop flight of 16 hours from Doha to New ...

    • Justice Shedrack
      on
      January 19, 2017
      Na wa ooooo

      Confusion in Gambia, Jammeh stays put, Barrow to be sworn in at Gambia embassy in Senegal

    • Taje
      on
      November 10, 2016
      It's true. Debrecen looks like africa and not europe. Too much "blackness"

      Exclusive: Nigeria Has Highest Number of International Students in Hungarian University, Says Ambassador Yunusa

    logo

    Political Economist is a liberal news magazine with global affiliations.

    We promote free enterprise and act as a catalyst for the growth of knowledge economy. We are proudly pan-Nigeria yet richly spiced with African and global news. We offer a fair and balanced news reportage presented by our team of well-heeled professional journalists...

    About us

    • 5 Olutosin Ajayi Street, By CPM Church, Ajao Estate, Lagos State, Nigeria
    • +234 805 680 1124
    • info@politicaleconomistng.com
    • Recent

    • Popular

    • Comments

    • MACBAN

      Miyetti Allah backs end to night grazing, sues for peace 

      By Admin
      January 25, 2021
    • Rivers Govt issues a disclaimer as Wike’s Presidential  campaign posters flood Abuja

      By Admin
      January 25, 2021
    • Chairman

      Drug abuse: NDLEA to seek govt’s approval to test university students, security agencies, govt. appointees, ...

      By Admin
      January 25, 2021
    • Maina

      47-year-old man docked for illegally distributing NIN form

      By Admin
      January 25, 2021
    • Jonathan Sacks IGP Abba, Appoints Arase

      By Admin
      April 21, 2015
    • Zinox iPower Inverter Claws to Market Dominance

      By Admin
      November 24, 2014
    • Police foil another suicide bomb attempt in Borno, kill three bombers

      By Admin
      April 24, 2017
    • Your Kidney is Your Life, Watch Your Lifestyle, Counsels Dr. Amira

      By Admin
      February 27, 2015
    • Justopec
      on
      April 24, 2017

      Police foil another suicide bomb attempt in Borno, kill three bombers

      Good one for the ...
    • Justice Shedrack
      on
      April 24, 2017

      Police foil another suicide bomb attempt in Borno, kill three bombers

      Nice
    • Anonymouse
      on
      February 8, 2017

      Qatar Airways makes history, completes first longest non-stop flight of 16 hours from Doha to New ...

      This is nice...
    • Justice Shedrack
      on
      January 19, 2017

      Confusion in Gambia, Jammeh stays put, Barrow to be sworn in at Gambia embassy in Senegal

      Na wa ooooo

    Find us on Facebook

    Follow us

    • Home
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    © Copyright Political Economist. All rights reserved.