Jonathan didn't sign single-term deal, Presidency insists

The Presidency said on Monday that President Goodluck Jonathan did not sign any agreement with any individual or group that he would serve only one term in office.

The Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, said this in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja.

Gulak was reacting to a statement credited to the spokesman of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Anthony Sani, on Monday.

Sani had said  that the crisis in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party would be resolved if Jonathan respected agreements he entered into with stakeholders before the 2011 elections.

He was commenting on the visits of five governors - Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso (Kano), Muritala Nyako (Adamawa);  Babangida Aliyu (Niger); Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) - to Jonathan and some past leaders.

He had said, 'Our understanding of the G-5 governors is that they want governors to be carried along in the management of their party; they want internal democracy and they want an end to divisions within the party, and for President Jonathan to respect agreements he entered into voluntarily with stakeholders.'

The Niger State governor had a few months ago claimed that the President, before the 2011 elections,  signed an agreement that he would serve only one term of four years.

But Gulak told one of our correspondents that he had challenged Aliyu to produce a copy of the agreement and the governor had not been able to take up the challenge, seven months after.

He said, 'Rather than insisting on an agreement that does not exist - since anybody can contest for the highest office in the land, those who are so interested should declare their interest and contest.

Commenting through his Director of Press, Ahmad Sajo, Adamawa State  governor  said  he and his four colleagues  did not discuss a single-term agreement with  Jonathan when they met with him recently.

He added that their discussion was only based on  the crisis in the PDP.

Sajo stated, 'The governors did not discuss anything about single term agreement with the President. As governors, they are free to meet with the President to discuss the state of the nation because they have responsibilities  to their states.

When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the Sokoto State Governor, Sani Umar, said he was not aware  that his principal met with the President.

He said that if they met, he did not know what they discussed.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Kano State Governor, Aliyu Dantiye, could not be reached for comment as he declined picking calls to his phone. A text message sent to him did not deliver as of press time. (PUNCH)