Ciroma, Ayu, Kirfi, other Northern leaders move to stop Jonathan from contesting
Despite his declaration for the 2011 presidency, key Northern leaders led by a former Minister of Finance, Mallam Adamu Ciroma are out to stop President Goodluck Jonathan. In a letter to the National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo, they called on the party to stop Jonathan from participating in the presidential primaries. The Northern leaders said that if PDP failed to cede presidential ticket to the north within two weeks, they will head to court to stop President Jonathan.
Those who signed the September 17, 2010 letter are Adamu Ciroma , MFR (Madaki Fika) ;Dr. Iyorchia Ayu ; Alhaji Lawal Kaita ;Alhaji Bello Kirfi, CON(Wazirin Bauchi); Amb. Yahaya Kwande; Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim. They gave the PDP a two-week deadline to stop Jonathan or face a series of court action that might scuttle the party's presidential primaries. Full text of the letter reads:
DEAR SIR,
CONCERNED MEMBERS OF
PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY
No.3 Embu Street . Wuse II .
Abuja . Nigeria +234 808 267 8233
September 17, 2010
His Excellency,
Dr.Okwesilieze Nwodo, CON
National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party of Nigeria (PDP)
National Secretariat Wadata Plaza,
Micheal Opara Street Zone 5,
Wuse 2 FCT, Abuja
And
Members of the National Working Committee (NWC)
RE: REQUEST FOR DECLARATION TO RESERVE THE PDP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION FOR NORTHERN ASPIRANTS AND TO RESTRAIN PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE 2010 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY AS AN ASPIRANT.
Dear Sir,
As you know, Article7, section 7.2(c) of our Party's constitution prescribed that, in pursuant of the principles of equity, justice and fairness, the Party shall adhere to the policy of rotation and zoning of Party and public elective offices and it shall be enforced by the appropriate executive committee at all levels'. This provision had been earlier enunciated and in fact reinforced by Preamble 2(c) of same constitution, which states in part that, ' to create socio-political conditions conducive to national peace and unity by ensuring fair and equitable distribution of resources and opportunities, to conform with the principles of power shift and power sharing by rotating key political offices among the diverse peoples of our country and evolving powers equitably between the Federal, State and Local Governments in the spirit of Federalism'.
Pursuant to the aforesaid provisions, the Party zoned the Presidency to the SOUTH for eight (8) uninterrupted years. This two term tenure was completed by a SOUTHERNER, in the person of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, from 1999 to 2007 under the Obasanjo/Atiku ticket. At all times during the Obasanjo/Atiku ticket, the record reflects that it was Obasanjo from the SOUTH that our Party nominated as its Presidential candidate. At the same time, Atiku, a northerner of Obasanjo's choice, was nominated by the Party as the Vice Presidential candidate. Indeed, at the end of Obasanjo/Atiku two term ticket, the Party rotated its Presidential and Vice Presidential tickets and zoned it to the NORTH and SOUTH respectively for the same two terms enjoyed by the Obasanjo/Atiku ticket. This, we believe, is in compliance with the controlling provisions of Article 7.2(c) and Preamble 2(c) of our Party's constitution. Consistent with earlier applied modalities for the actualization of the referenced constitutional provisions, the Party nominated Alhaji Umaru Yar'adua from the NORTH as it's Presidential candidate and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan from the SOUTH chosen by Yar'adua, as the Vice Presidential candidate. This tenure began in 2007 as the Yar'adua/Goodluck ticket. It was to end in 2015. Unfortunately, this two term tenure of NORTHERN Presidency was punctuated by the untimely death of President Yar'adua. (May his soul rest in perfect peace-Amen) mid way to the completion of the first term tenure. In strict obedience to the dictates of the Constitution of our country, Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as President to complete the remaining years of the first term tenure.
Your Excellency, the first term tenure of the two term Yar'adua/Goodluck ticket will soon come to an end. It is now time for our Party to conduct it's primary elections to nominate it's Presidential and Vice presidential candidates for the second tenure of the two term tenure of Yar'adua/Goodluck ticket, which is expected to begin in 2011 and end in 2015. Under existing electoral law, it is in this 2010 that our Party is required to nominate it's Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates. If we follow our Party's practice and constitution, which we must, the Party must nominate a NORTHERNER as our Presidential candidate and a SOUTHERNER as our Vice Presidential candidate because the existing Yar'adua/Goodluck ticket zoned to the NORTH not the SOUTH. To do otherwise would amount to injustice and the violation of our Party's grundnorm. We make bold to remind you Sir, that by all implications, a NORTHERN ticket means that a NORTHERNER should be nominated the Party's Presidential ticket. To us, Yar'adua was nominated to fulfil the rotation of power to the NORTH. The fact that he died midway did not in any way terminate the total number of uninterrupted years which the North is entitled to enjoy. Nor did it obfuscate the right of the NORTH to field a replacement candidate.
The rotation of power to the NORTHERN zone is not personal to Yar'adua. It is for the entire NORTH. Common sense and reason requires that this understanding be maintained and respected by the Party. To our shock and dismay, although there are some individuals from the NORTH aspiring to earn the nomination of our Party to complete the second term of the NORTHERN ticket, the intention of President Goodluck Jonathan to wrongly use the power of incumbency, to arm twist Party members, usurp, misappropriate and confiscate this NORTHERN ticket has now been confirmed by his intention to declare interest to run for President. Understandably, there is now widespread anger, not just within the Party , but also throughout the country, over this clear infringement of our Party's ground rules. The evidence suggests that the Party leadership may be encouraging this infringement and this constitute great danger to peace, security and stability of our country. We fear that if President Jonathan's plot succeeds, it will divide and dislocate our beloved Party. It will also cause irreparable damage to the peace and oneness of our country. It will constitute an assault on reason and gross injustice to the North.
Indeed, we notice that the spectre of danger and controversy has been heightened by the decision of the Party on zoning as reflected in the Resolution of the 52 nd meeting of the National Executive Committee of our Party held on August 12, 2010. In paragraph 17, page 8 of the said Resolution, the Party endorsed the constitutional provisions dealing with zoning, power sharing and rotation. Specifically, it stated that 'NEC took time to review the origin and essence of the zoning principle as enshrined in the PDP constitution. In view of historical antecedents and contemporary realities and in order to ensure justice, equity and fairness, NEC unanimously endorsed the retention of the zoning principle in the PDP Constitution'. However, the clarity of this endorsement appears to have been muddied by paragraph 18 of the same resolution. That paragraph stated that 'NEC also observed that President Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR is serving out the first four year term of the joint ticket with late President Umaru Musa Yar'adua and therefore has a right to contest for the remaining four year term of their joint ticket in 2011' . Continuing, the Resolution further said that 'NEC however resolved that this will not of course exclude any other Nigerian from any part of the country from contesting the Presidential primaries for the 2011 General Elections'.
The ambiguity and double-speak thrown up by these paragraphs behoves the Party to provide further clarification and ascertain the true meaning of Article 7.2(c) and Preamble 2(c) of our party's constitution as it concerns the second tenure of the two term NORTHERN ticket signified by existing Yar'adua/Goodluck ticket. In our view, the full import of Article 7.2(c) of our Party constitution is that whenever the Presidency shifts to a geo-political zone (in this case the NORTH) by rotation, all other zones are excluded by implication and convention from producing the Presidential candidate of the Party until and unless the duration of the shift/rotation is exhausted. In the present case, that the SOUTH enjoyed an eight (8) year two term Presidential rotation under Obasanjo/Atiku ticket is not in dispute. That the two term period was fully exhausted before the Party rotated the ticket back to the NORTH under the Yar'adua/Goodluck ticket also not in dispute. That in each case and at each election time, the Party nominated its Presidential candidate from the geo-political zone enjoying the in exhausted ticket is a settled tradition. That Yar'adua/Goodluck ticket is a NORTHERN ticket is beyond doubt. That the rotation period of the Yar'adua/Goodluck ticket must subsist in the second tenure is irrefutable. That had Yar'adua been alive today, the Party would have been under obligation to continue the NORTHERN ticket and it would have been the right of Yar'adua, or any aspirant from the North, to keep or replace President Jonathan as his running mate.
Given that President Jonathan comes from the SOUTH, it is inconceivable that the Party should nominate him as the Party's Presidential candidate to complete the second term of a NORTHERN ticket, especially where, as in this case, there are other ready, willing and able Northern aspirants in the Party. The NORTHERN ticket did not cease or terminate with the death of Yar'adua. On the contrary, it continues in the NORTH for the Northern aspirants. President Jonathan is incompetent to inherit the Northern ticket under our Party's constitution because he is NOT from the North. We find it sufficient to note here that, unlike in the elevation of the then Vice President Jonathan to substitute Yar'adua as President (when he died) for the uncompleted first term tenure of the Yar'adua/Jonathan ticket, there is no credible argument which will otherwise trump the sustenance of the NORTHERN ticket. The Party constitution and internal arrangement in this matter is supported by precedent. Therefore, by reason, convention or constitution of our Party, the choice of the Presidential candidate of the party for the 2011 election remains the exclusive preserve of the NORTH, and the Party is under obligation to nominate a NORTHERNER as its Presidential candidate.
Accordingly, we herewith demand that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through its appropriate organ, issue a superseding resolution within two (2) weeks from date, clarifying the noted ambiguity, and declaring its intention to nominate a NORTHERNER from the pool of its NORTHERN PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANTS as its Presidential candidate for the 2011 general elections. Furthermore, we demand that the Party issues a declaration, restraining President Goodluck Jonathan from participating and presenting himself as an aspirant in the 2010 PDP Presidential primary election. Our demand is informed by a deep sense of commitment to preservation of PDP and the universal call for justice, fairness, peace, unity and stability of our country. Above all, we are extremely worried that our Party's failure to deliver justice in this matter, may ignite a series of events, the scope and magnitude of which we can neither proximate nor contain. The peace, stability and unity of our country are superior to the personal ambition of one man. This stability and the corporate existence of our Party are all at stake and we urge you to grant our prayers. In the event however that the Party dismisses our plea or fails to act, please take notice that in addition to other legitimate measures, we will, in concert with other aggrieved members, take any and all actions warranted by Law to obtain justice in this matter. Kindly consider this letter as a grievance under Article 21.2(1)(111) and (iv) of our Party's 2009 Constitution as amended.
We thank you, Your Excellency, Sir, for this opportunity. May God bless you and our country, Nigeria .
Respectfully yours,
For and On Behalf of Concerned Members , Adamu Ciroma, MFR Madaki Fika
Dr. Iyorchia Ayu
Alhaji Lawal Kaita
Alhaji Bello Kirfi, CON
Amb. Yahaya Kwande
Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim
Wazirin Bauchi