NORTH WON'T DISGRACE JONATHAN, SENATOR EBUTE, TELLS KATSINA PDP CHAIRMAN

Former Senate President and Chairman, Congress for Equality and Change, Senator Ameh Ebute has described as misplaced, the declaration of the Katsina Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, [PDP], Alhaji Aliyu Sani that President Goodluck Jonathan would be disgraced by the North, if he vies for the 2011 presidential election.

The Katsina PDP chairman, had said in an interview granted the Daily Sun that President Jonathan should not be deceived by his foot soldiers who were assuring him of the support from the North.

''He should not in any way allow himself to be deceived . He should make it categorically clear to Nigerians that he is not contesting. If he does that, he'll become a hero and all northerners will root for him, in 2015. For now, I advise him not to ridicule himself, because he will be disgraced.''

But reacting to the Katsina PDP Chairman's declaration, Ebute told Daily Sun on phone that the idea of a monolithic North exists only in the imagination of Alhaji Aliyu Sani.

The former Senate President declared that the North central and North east would give their support to President Jonathan in 2011.

'Which North was he (Alhaji Aliyu Sani) referring to? If the definition of the North include North central and North east, then he must have had his worst dream of the year. We in the North central, North east and indeed other geo-political zones of this country are now looking up to a presidential candidate that will elevate this great country called Nigeria to the level it deserves as an oil producing country rather than predicating the requirements for choosing our leader on the north, south west, or any other geo-political divide.''

The former Senate President disclosed that the country had outgrown such primitive sentiments of regional leadership.

The Chairman of Congress for Equality and Change, a group galvanizing support for President Jonathan advised the Katsina PDP Chairman to join in the struggle for a leader that would harness the nation's resources, both human and material for the benefit of all rather than continue to indulge in a parochial struggle.

''As far as we from the ''North'' in the Jonathan camp are concerned, President Jonathan has what it takes to give us the new leadership that we desire in this country.

He is the only solution and hope for Nigerians. Our part of the North will not disgrace Jonathan. We are vindicated that the North will not disgrace Jonathan, because credible politicians from the North are in support of change ,'the former Senate President submitted