FORMER Director General of the defunct
Centre for Democratic Studies, CDS, Prof. Omo Omoruyi, has asked
President Goodluck Jonathan to own up that he authorised his campaign
posters for 2015 if he was sure that he had evidence of good performance
in office so far instead of keeping Nigerians in suspense.
In
an interview with Vanguard in Benin, Edo State, Omoruyi said it was not
too early for Jonathan to start 2015 re-election campaign because
campaign starts with the end of an election.
President Jonathan
campaign posters flooded Abuja last week. His aides distanced the
president from the posters, reiterating Jonathan’s comments that he
would tell Nigerians whether or not he would contest the election in
2014, adding that for now he was concentrating on governance.
The
political scientist, who just returned from a medical trip abroad,
faulted those who are asking President Jonathan not to re-contest. He
also picked holes in the opposition of the North to the Petroleum
Industry Bill, PIB,, saying if the North had oil they would have seceded
from Nigeria.
Omoruyi spoke as the Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC, gave reasons it could not act on the controversial
campaign posters.
It’s not too early for Jonathan to begin campaign
His
words: “Why will he not contest? Look, constitutionally, is he not
qualified to contest? If yes, then, his performance will be judged by
the people and not him. When people said, ah, there are posters here and
there, it is even too late. Why is it too early? Haven’t you seen what
is going on in the United States of America today? The man (Barack
Obama) will be sworn in on January 20, 2013 and the Republicans are
already looking for an alternative to him; within the Democratic Party
they are looking for somebody who would replace him.
“So, it is
not too early because election starts once election is conducted.
Period! You do not wait. I have said it that in first year, you are busy
trying to plant something; second year it must germinate, third year is
a nomination year and this is nomination year. So, what is so early in
it?
Jonathan should own up to the posters
“The man
(Jonathan) should own up and say, look, I am seeking a second term or
whatever term it is. So any group that is rooting for him is in order.
He has never owned up to that. Based on what I have said, I do not know
what he has done because in some of these things, you must stand to be
counted. He must say, I have achieved this thing, I have stabilised this
country, I have given Nigeria a leadership, and you must make a choice.
“We
are gradually going to the nomination year now and if he cannot put an
end to those seeking to replace him within the PDP in the third year, he
should forget it. If he cannot make those seeking to replace him from
outside the PDP in the third year, he should forget it.”
If North had oil, they would have seceded long ago
On
the attempt by the Northern Governors and federal lawmakers to kill the
PIB following allegation that its provisions were anti-North, Omoruyi
said: “Who owns oil now has become an issue. It is for all of us. It is
for everybody. That is only the beginning of the crisis we have in this
country, otherwise, I can assure you of one thing… If oil was found in
the North many years ago, the North would have seceded long ago.
“That
is why this craze for exploration. There is still that fear that the
country would break up. You see, one document I put together for General
Ibrahim Babangida contained two final points. One, he wanted former
President Yar’Adua to pursue the dredging of the River Niger up to Baro
and Baro is Babangida’s locality. It is his home.
“The second is
that he also wanted the building of a highway from Kano to Tripoli in
Libya. He said he wanted quick exploration of oil. Why were that going
on and why were these three issues so important? It is because they did
not believe that Nigeria will last. If Nigeria breaks up, they will not
have to go through the ports of Lagos or Port-Harcourt.’’
Why we can’t act on Jonathan’s posters — INEC
As
controversy continues to trail the emergence of the campaign posters of
President Jonathan on the New Year, the Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC, yesterday, advanced reasons it could not act on the
posters.
Chairman of the Commission, Prof Attahiru Jega, said
there was nothing the commission could do about posters displayed
randomly by unknown persons in the Federal Capital Territory.
The
Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, told
Vanguard that the action of the masterminds of the controversial posters
fell within the region of crime and public order, which should be
handled by security agencies and not INEC.
According to Idowu, the
commission does not deal with unknown elements but with registered
political parties in the discharge of its duties as enshrined in the
law.
The chairman’s spokesman said since neither the People
Democratic Party nor the President had owned up to the posters, there
was nothing it could do.
Idowu said: “If an identifiable party or
persons acting for a party campaign outside the purview of the law, then
it becomes a matter of interest to INEC. The present scenario does not
add up.”
Naij