2011: S'SOUTH LAWMAKERS BACK JONATHAN

By NBF News

Members of the House of Assemblies in the six states of the South-South geo-political region rose from their maiden meeting in Yenagoa and called on President Goodluck Jonathan to run for the presidency in 2011.

The meeting held under the aegis of the South-South Legislative Forum (SSLF) condemned the zoning arrangement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and advocated that it should be jettison.

The initiator of the meeting, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, representing Nembe Constituency 1 in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, said the rationale behind the meeting was to foster unity among lawmakers in the South-South states so that they could forge a common front on issues affecting the region.

While commending lawmakers from Delta, Rivers and Cross Rivers states who attended the meeting, he disclosed that distance and the visit to Akwa Ibom by the president prevented lawmakers from Edo and Akwa Ibom from attending the meeting.

He explained that it was imperative for lawmakers to take a stand on issues affecting the region to move the region to the next level of development. In their various contributions, the lawmakers were of the views that the contentious issue of zoning of the presidency within the ruling PDP should be discarded and Jonathan should be supported to continue in office in 2011.