KADUNA—NORTHERN leaders, yesterday, gave President Goodluck Jonathan the green light to contest the 2011 elections saying that he became the President under a joint ticket with late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
They said that Yar’Adua’s death should not deprive Jonathan the rights and privileges of the joint ticket.
To see photos of those in attendance click here
Rising from a one-day summit at the Kaduna International Trade Fair Complex, Kaduna, under the auspices of “Northern Political Summit,” the leaders said that what the North needed now, was good governance irrespective of where the person came from.
Giving a summary of the communiqué towards the end of the summit, one of the conveners, Prof. Jerry Gana said the North desired a free, fair and credible election in 2011 and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission under Professor Attahiru Jega to ensure free and fair polls next year.
Gana said: “The summit expressed the strong desire for free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria and called on the Chairman and commissioners of INEC to do everything within their power to ensure preparation for credible elections in Nigeria come 2011.
“The summit also called on governments of the federation to make adequate resources available to the electoral commission to ensure that free, fair and credible elections are conducted in Nigeria.
“There was a strong desire by the summit for every effort to be made to use good governance to bring development to every sector of the economy in the northern part of Nigeria in terms of infrastructure, education, industries, employment and uplifting the lives of our people.
The summit resolved to hold a northern economic summit next year in order to focus attention on the economic and social conditions of communities in the northern part of Nigeria.
Power sharing and rotation
“The summit considered the various positions, viewpoints and options together with the related implication to the peace and stability of the country. It resolved that the zoning produced the presidency of Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua and President Goodluck Jonathan was an inseparable ticket, therefore, the demise of one did not invalidate the privileges of the remaining beneficiary of that zoning.
“The summit called on the leadership of the PDP to allow superior provision of the Nigerian constitution to guide the party in producing guidelines and regulations in the conduct of primaries to elect presidential candidate.
In the circumstances, the most viable option is what has been expressed. First, to ensure that indeed, the conduct of the primaries are such that the best candidates are given the opportunity to run for the office of the president.”
Yakowa declares open the summit
Speaking while declaring the summit open, the Kaduna State Governor, Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa urged delegates not to look at only one parameter “with regards to power sharing and power rotation” in the country.
Yakowa said: “Whatever we would do should be in the context of the Nigerian constitution which is supreme over all other arrangements that would be made or might have been made at some point.
“Many countries of the world are fast reviewing their positions with a view to being first class players in the globalization arrangements where justice, unity, and national integration of our country serve as our roadmap to 2011.”
Former Governor of Plateau State and pioneer National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Solomon Lar said: “As one of the founding fathers of the PDP, I remember clearly the basic considerations of the principle of zoning, and the interim nature of its application.
“Zoning was never meant to be a permanent feature of our democracy. Surely, the day is coming when both our nation and our democracy would become so mature as to make zoning most unnecessary.
“Having tasted the power of civil discussion and dialogue in the resolution of problems, I am a great believer in the wisdom of talking things over, hence my solid support for this summit. This is the beauty of democracy- the freedom of expression.”
Prof. Jerry Gana, apparently referring to the insistence by some northerners that it was the turn of the zone to produce the president in 2011, said, that democracy was about “the primacy of the rule of law, the culture of honour, transparency, and accountability of governments to the people” adding that “coercion is not only costly but rapidly erodes effectiveness.”
He said: “The policy of zoning was adopted by the founding fathers of PDP to resolve the huge crises that followed the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election and it was through leadership gatherings of this nature that the questions of power shift and power rotation were peacefully resolved in 1998/1999.”
Ambassador Shehu Malami said there was nothing like good governance in the North as most of the elected leaders were not developing the area physically. He said: “We need to use our finances judiciously. We need not talk about politics most of the time and not talk of the economic and industrial development of the north and the country at large.”
ATTENDANCE LIST
*Gov Patrick Yakowa
Sen. Abubakar Sodangi
Hon. Usman Nafada
Chief Solomon Lar
Chief Barnabas Gemade
Amb Shehu Malami
Amb. Hassan Adamu
Lt. Gen. Saliu Ibrahim
Lt Gen Ishaya Bamaiyi
Gen Lawrence Onoja
Prof. Iya Abubakar
Prof Jerry Gana
Sen. Jonathan Zwingina,
Sen. Walid Jubril
Sen. Bala Mohammed
Mr. Mark Jacob
Sen. John Wash-Pam
Sen. Ibrahim Mantu
Col. Dungs
Sen. Isaiah Balat.
Abubakar Audu,
Amb. Onu Isaac
Garba Mohammed
Joshua Dariye
Abubakar Audi
Labaran Maku
Sn. Usman Wowo
Chief Mike Aondoakaa
Mrs. Sarah Jubril
Bala Kaoje
Alhaji Tukur Jigamchi
Alhaji Ali Abacha
Sen. George Akume
Gen. A.B. Mamman
Dr. Muktar Mansur
Dr. Idi Hong
Humphrey Abba
Babanginda Nguroje
Salisu Buhari
Ambassador Isa Maina
Sen. Abba Aji
Sani Ndanusa
Mr. Damishi Sango
Muktar Yero
Alhaji Yusuf Ayitogo
Alhaji Kaulaha Aliyu
Hon. Clarence Olufemi
Obadayan Audu
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