Goodluck Jonathan’s run for a second term as President, long kept to his chest until four days ago, is gathering a storm that may rip the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) open on all sides, regardless of his pole position to retain his job.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has enlisted the National Assembly (NASS) in the campaign to stop him.
The PDP adopted Jonathan as sole candidate in September and on Thursday, October 23, he held a meeting with the party’s big wigs in Aso Rock where he accepted the offer and constituted a presidential declaration panel, headed by former Defence Minister, Haliru Bello, to advance the cause.
Hiccup for Balewa
A source close to Abdul, son of the late Prime Minister, Abubakar Tafawa Belewa, said he sent representatives to the PDP national headquarters in Abuja to obtain the nomination form on October 20 but they were told at the office of the national organising secretary that the only one available was reserved for Jonathan.
However, the party’s Deputy Director Administration, Adewale Fatona, denied the allegation, saying about 20 presidential nomination forms were made available for aspirants.
Hurdle at state level
Some PDP governors are reportedly expressing regret for endorsing Jonathan because choosing sole candidates in states is facing unexpected hurdle.
Sources said Governors Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta State) and others keep their preferred candidates secret while working behind the scenes to ensure they pass through screening.
Aso Rock disagrees with some of the successors penciled by governors, afraid that renegade PDP members may become states’ helmsmen and cause trouble for Jonathan.
Court challenge
A suit challenging Jonathan’s eligibility is at the Federal Court of Appeal in Abuja, instituted by a PDP presidential aspirant, Cyriacus Njoku, joined by former Adamawa State PDP governorship aspirant, Umar Ardo.
A technical hitch prevented hearing in the case on Monday, October 20, but it was adjourned until Wednesday, October 29
Ardo told journalists that “with the case in court now, no one can say or do anything regarding the presidential nomination of the PDP until the matter before the court is finally determined.
“It means that Jonathan can neither declare nor obtain expression of interest and nomination forms nor can any party in the suit do the same. The PDP cannot also sell forms to any of us. Any act contrary to this will be subjudice.
“This is the way of the law. It is therefore in the best interest of myself, the president, the PDP and the country at large for this matter to be determined as quickly as possible, so as to clear the way for everybody.”
On Thursday, October 24, after Jonathan made public his intention to run for a second term, Ardo insisted in an interview with TheNiche that “this matter is already in court as you well know and we have been given October 29 date for its hearing.
“So, anybody who goes ahead to do anything before its final determination is engaging in an action that is subjudice. We will see how the whole thing plays out.”
Obasanjo writes NASS
It was also learnt that Obasanjo has written to the NASS warning that Jonathan’s “second term” will breach the Constitution.
Obasanjo reportedly disclosed this to the Save Nigerian Constitution Group (SNCG) when it visited him recently in Ota, Ogun State. SNCG is campaigning to stop Jonathan from seeking re-election.
A member of SNCG confided in TheNiche that it was the letter that prompted Senate President, David Mark, to visit Obasanjo during the Muslim festival last month.
Mark reportedly pleaded with Obasanjo to drop his opposition to Jonathan. But former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, also reportedly visited Obasanjo and urged him to ignore the plea.
SNCG has written to several Nigerian leaders, especially those in the PDP, to speak out against Jonathan’s re-election.
A copy of the letter it sent to Obasanjo before the visit recalled that Jonathan was first sworn in as President on May 6, 2010 and sworn in again on May 29, 2011, and if he were to get sworn in the third time on May 29, 2015, he would have served for nine years and 23 days when his final term expires on May 29, 2019.
It argued that this exceeds the constitutional tenure limit of eight years, broken into two terms of four years each.
The letter has been circulated to many PDP leaders, some of whom back the group.
Regardless, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) has urged Jonathan and other intending candidates to pick nomination forms as the October 30 deadline for the sale will not be extended.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said the NWC has approved waivers for those contesting for elective positions.
The NWC has also approved three ad-hoc delegates from wards and aspirants are granted automatic waivers to participate in ward delegate elections.
Metuh clarified that although the PDP adopted Jonathan as sole presidential candidate in September, he still has to obtain the nomination form like all other intending candidates, as stated in the party’s constitution
The Niger Delta Youth Forum (NDYF), led by Benjamin Egbunike, has threatened to shut down the PDP secretariat if it is not allowed to obtain the nomination form for Jonathan.
Metuh denied any threat from the group.
Lamido waits in the wings
But fear remains in other quarters that Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, may throw a spanner in the re-election works of Jonathan, despite the president’s visit to Jigawa on October 21 to commission the state’s airport.
At an interactive session in Dutse, Jonathan denied the existence of any feud between him and Lamido, saying, “Sule Lamido is a man of his word. In terms of what people say about a frosty relationship, sometimes it is issues of interpretation.”
But sources in Jigawa said Lamido may just be waiting for the right time to re-launch his campaign against Jonathan’s bid.
While Jonathan said he has no rift with Lamido, the man was silent on the matter in his response.
He has been avoiding political activities on the platform of the PDP, stoking speculation that he may defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) if he fails to have his way.
This position is reinforced by a comment credited to Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, on October 13 that two governors in the PDP would soon defect to the APC. Lamido is presumed to be one of them.
Northeners recruit Southeners
TheNiche reported on July 27 that there is a high wire conspiracy by Northern PDP leaders to stop Jonathan from seeking re-election next year by all means. One is litigation.
Northern PDP leaders, in league with Southern collaborators, plan to go to court the moment Jonathan publicly declares his intension to run for a second term.
Their plank is that the PDP constitution does not allow for the same person to be presented for the office of president three times.
They also rely on the Nigerian Constitution which states that no one should serve as president for more than eight years.
Jonathan became Vice President on the joint ticket with the late Umaru Yar’Adua, who won election in 2007.
He first became acting president in February 2010 when Yar’Adua took ill and became substantive president upon his death in May 2010.
Jonathan won election in his own right in 2011.
If he wins the vote next year he would have served for more than nine years when his second term expires in May 2019.
Legal minefield
According to sources, the major arguments the anti-Jonathan camp will present in court include
• The PDP can no longer present Jonathan as its presidential candidate, having previously presented him in the 2007 and 2011 elections.
• Since the ballot is for the party, the opinion that Jonathan merely served out Yar’Adua’s tenure from 2010 and 2011 does not stand because Sections 138 and 146(1) and (2) of the Constitution are clear on the issue.
• The court judgment that declared him qualified is neither here nor there because no political party can present the same person for president three times.
Other arguments the group intends to present in court include
• “The PDP 2007 mandate, was it interrupted or served out by the party’s candidates so elected?
• “Was the ballot for an individual or the political party?
• “Can it be said that Jonathan served out Yar’Adua’s tenure? If yes, was the joint Yar’Adua/Jonathan ticket an independent candidate or sponsored by the PDP?
• “What was the mind of the Constitution in its statement that one ballot is for the president/vice president?
• “Is it not one office with two occupants performing one function, though one is head? Was the Constitution not clear in Section 142(1) on who should sustain a mandate when one of the two is no longer available?
• “Was the PDP 2007 mandate not served out by its second candidate under the joint ticket?
• “Was the same candidate not presented a second time during the 2011 presidential election, which the PDP won, and the same candidate sworn-in and is to this date discharging the party’s mandate as expressed by Nigerians?
• “Therefore can the PDP present Jonathan as its presidential candidate a third time for the 2015 presidential election? Was the 2007 presidential mandate interrupted?
• “Was there a presidential bye election envisaged in Section 146(2) of the Constitution, if it was interrupted? Can any president of Nigeria exceed the tenure maximum of eight years?
• “Does the Constitution provide for independent candidacy? Every candidate must be sponsored by a political party, therefore the ballot and mandate are for the party, not an individual.”