[size=14pt]Zoning: Northern Elders Issue 2-Week Ultimatum To PDP[/size]
Written by Idowu Samuel, Abuja
Saturday, 18 September 2010

The build up to 2011 Presidential election has started brewing tension within political circles in Nigeria , as a group of northern leaders on Friday issued a two-week ultimatum to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on need to stop President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting in the 2011 election.

[size=14pt]The northern leaders led by Mallam Adamu Ciroma had fired a memo to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which it accused of double-speak on the issue of zoning, warning that its failure to stop Jonathan from contesting the presidential election would plunge Nigeria into an unimaginable chaos.[/size]

Alhaji Ciroma, Dr Iyiorcha Ayu, Alhaji Lawal Kaita, Alhaji Bello Kirfi, Ambassador Yahaya Kwande and Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim signed the memo on behalf of northern elders.

They, however, asked the PDP to specifically issue a declaration restraining Jonathan from contesting in the 2011 presidential election, and on the other hand, declare the 2011 as the exclusive preserve of the North, in line with the existing zoning formula in operation within the party.

The elders stated strongly that Jonathan had no right to contest in the next presidential election, the position having been clearly zoned to the North by the PDP through its constitution, wondering why the party ever dared to encourage the president to take the northern slot after eight years of Obasanjo’s presidency.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/sat/index.php/news/2095-zoning-northern-elders-issue-2-week-ultimatum-to-pdp-.html

according to the USA special unit report, Nigeria will split before 2013, lets not make this happen. make our children bear Nigerians, vote IBB 2011

CHINEKE!

2011 is going to be a crazy year. Maybe my parents should start making arrangements to leave Port Harcourt if things get too bad in Naija.

Their top shots have been removed from the army, so Uncle Joe, mobilise the Nigerian army. Nutin de happen!

smile11s:

according to the USA special unit report, Nigeria will split before 2013, lets not make this happen. make our children bear Nigerians, vote IBB 2011

you must be drunk- I would rather nigeria split than be forced to have a northern president AGAIN.

sbeezy8:

you must be drunk- I would rather nigeria split than be forced to have a northern president AGAIN.

My friend sharap and sit down dia!  Talk is cheap. What will you do when we have another northern president? Nonsense!

Lets stop Nigeria from splitting, Vote IBB 2011

Onlytruth:

My friend sharap and sit down dia!   Talk is cheap. What will you do when we have another northern president? Nonsense!

I wont  do much! Afterall Jonathan is the Only igbo Ill vote for. So if its not Jonathan as the igbo president Dont even look for southern unity to ahve another igbo president.

Because the SS and SW wont vote for him- if you guys dont vote for Jonathan. Infact what am I saying Jonathan is the ONLY IGBO- Im interested in voting for.

smile11s:

Lets stop Nigeria from splitting,  Vote IBB 2011

Let him go eff himself.

After Jonathan Dont count on any more votes towards a person of igbo extraction. Even if that igbo niggu has a yoruba mother named bimpe awoniyi

chyz:

Gbam!

what ever drugs youve been smoking with IBB and Ojukwu quit please! the day before you said you wanted IBB to win. Now Jonathan abi?

lol confused gal or boy or gal-boy

sbeezy8:

After Jonathan Dont count on any more votes towards a person of igbo extraction. Even if that igbo niggu has a yoruba mother named bimpe awoniyi

Then get ready to be whipped back in line.   As long as the north remains one and as long as Ndigbo maintain an accord with the north, you and yours can do shiot. I don't need to tell you that.

Onlytruth:

Then get ready to be whipped back in line.  As long as the north remains one and as long as Ndigbo maintain an accord with the north, you and yours can do shiot. I don't need to tell you that.

ok great let the north have power who cares - youre only doing what the rest of naija expects you guys to do.

1) Zik under Balewa power 1960
2) Ekweume under shagari power 1979
3) Ojukwu under Abacha power 1995
4) Odili and Ojuwku under  IBB 2010

Atleast Yoruba moves are unexpected, we would rather remain "tribalist" then willingly give power to "illiterate blood thirsty islamic extremist "Hausa-fulanis. As for you guys its like a broken record
"We'll support Hausas-fulanis as the junior partner" same tune over and over again

sbeezy8:

what ever drugs youve been smoking with IBB and Ojukwu quit please! the day before you said you wanted IBB to win. Now Jonathan abi?

lol confused gal or boy or gal-boy

LOL.Good one

4k da Northerners. As long as there is no other credible leader to challenge Jonathan I am with Jonathan. In fact Jonathan should win. If the North then want to split I will welcome the idea. 4k them and their threats. JEGA for President. We must defy these illiterate Northern criminals.

udezue:

4k da Northerners. As long as there is no other credible leader to challenge Jonathan I am with Jonathan. In fact Jonathan should win. If the North then want to split I will welcome the idea. 4k them and their threats. JEGA for President. We must defy these illiterate Northern criminals.

Bros, is Jega contesting? Jonathan azikiwe sef. .

see onlytruth switching sides i told you goodluck is an igbo man- we are not stupid

I read the full transcript of the letter, and I think they stated the obvious. . . . Thats the beauty of democracy. It is now left to Nwodo and his NEC members to decide whether they would enforce  the PDP's zoning agreement which is enshrined in their constitution or to jettison it becasue of one man's ambition.

What will the northern elders do when pdp fails to restrain GEJ? Look at the calibre of those that represent the north even.For pdp,the end is nigh,never much cared for the evil party anyway.

Metalgong, let them rubbish it. The days of bending over backwards for Northerners is gone. This is how they've become too powerful because we cowardly concede whenever they shout. *hiss* I see them losing their power-grip and its a thrill to me.

darqly:

What will the northern elders do when pdp fails to restrain GEJ? Look at the calibre of those that represent the north even.For pdp,the end is nigh,never much cared for the evil party anyway.

If I may ask: What calibre of leaders do southerners have in PDP? . .  Are they not GEJ, OBJ, ED Clark, Andy Uba, Arthur Nzeribe, Tony Anenih. They are all as bad as the Northern leaders.

Onlytruth, Jonathan has declared his intention to run.

onlytruth knows jonathan the igboman will contest why is he acting brand new, him and ojukwu were just supporting ibb for president.

It seems the main reason why the SS wants the north to concede this position is "because of their so-called co-operation with the north in the past"
As stupid and as repugnant as this co-operation might have been in the past, it's certainly more retarded for anyone to think that the north will simply be kind enough to remember all the co-operations given to them by the SS during the civil war.
Oh, I might also add that what these SS leaders are negotiating with the north today is not far from what Ojukwu and Zik before him had tried to negotiate with the north.
Ojukwu didn't succeed, because of SS leaders co-operation with the same northerners.
Imagine an Igbo version of Adaka Boro today making all the right noises in support of the north, and at the expense his brother, cousin, neighbor inlaw friend Jonathan
History certainly repeating itself


[size=18pt]Presidency: North, South-South meeting deadlocked [/size]
Friday, 17 September 2010 06:08  E-mail PDF  .By Mohammed Isa

A meeting of Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) with leaders of the South-South geo-political zone, held yesterday at the Shehu Musa Yar'adua Centre in Abuja, ended in a deadlock, with both sides unable to reach a consensus over which zone should produce the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The two groups, which met under the aegis of NPLF, also referred to as G-15, and South-South Peoples Assembly (SSPA), were led by former Minister of Finance, Malam Adamu Ciroma  and former Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, leaders of both the Northern and South-South group.
The meeting, which lasted for two hours, failed to reach a common position on the agitation by the Northern politicians for President Goodluck Jonathan to shelve his plans to contest in the forthcoming Presidential election, based on the PDP zoning arrangement.

The source, who pleaded for anonymity, told our reporter that both sides held on to their positions, with the South-South leaders insisting that Jonathan be allowed to exercise his constitutional right  to contest in the 2011 general elections, while the Northern group  insisted that it is only fair to allow the region retain the Presidency in order to complete its two terms of eight years as provided for by the PDP zoning formula[b].“They (South-South) insisted that Jonathan must be allowed to contest as they pleaded with the North to support Jonathan to win the 2011 presidential election. The South-South leaders also reminded the meeting of the tremendous support the region has enjoyed from them in the past,”[/b] the source explained.

According to the South-South leaders, [b]based on this support by the South-South to the North in the past, Northern Nigeria should identify with the aspiration of the oil-rich region in making Jonathan win next year’s polls.[/b]On their part, the Northern leaders insisted on regaining the presidency in 2011, saying with the death of President Umaru Musa Yar'adua in May, it was only logical  that the North be allowed to complete its two terms of eight years.

Indication of the stalemate was clear when at the end, in the communiqué issued, the two sides said “they have resolved to allow the political parties to pursue their programmes for nomination of their presidential candidates,” and “agreed to meet again after all presidential aspirants have declared their aspirations.”

The communiqué, read by Alhaji Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim for NPLF and Mrs Bolere Ketebu for the SSPA, further stated: “In recognition of the acrimony that seems to trail the issue of zoning in the last few months, there is a need to mend the fence between the North and the South-South.”
No question was entertained from journalists after the communiqué was read by the duo.
Among those who attended the meeting for the NPLF were the Wazirin Bauchi, Alhaji Bello Kirfi, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, Alhaji Hassan Ciroman Keffi, Ambassador Yahaya Kwande, Alhaji Lawal Kaita, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, Prof. Isa Mohammed, Alhaji Yaya Abubakar, Alhaji Saleh Hassan, Mrs Rhoda Ako and Hajiya Laila Dogonyaro.
On the side of the SSPA were Chief Abiye Sekibo, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd), Prof. Osarhemen Osunbor, Chief Tonye Graham-Douglas, f Chibudom Nwuche, Dr. J. T. Bendega and Dr. Enyimiti Ejeme, among others.

Everyone now open their mouth and talk . . . . .

udezue:

Onlytruth, Jonathan has declared his intention to run.

We don't know that yet bro Udezue. How many Nigerians are on facebook? A day in politics is like a lifetime.

sbeezy8:

onlytruth knows jonathan the igboman will contest why is he acting brand new, him and ojukwu were just supporting ibb for president.

For now, I'm with IBB. Abiola mob can't shout me down.

Onlytruth:

For now, I'm with IBB. Abiola mob can't shout me down.

Give us reason why IBB shd be supported . . . . I am not saying otherwise oh, but convince other people.

Fhemmmy:

Give us reason why IBB shd be supported . . . . I am not saying otherwise oh, but convince other people.

To refresh your memory, IBB achieved the following in office:

The establishment of new Universities and Polytechnics.
The movement of Federal Capital from Lagos to Abuja.
The reorganization of the Nigeria Police into seven Zonal Operation Areas.
The unemployment grant to States for agricultural programmes and vocational skills.
Establishment of Mass Mobilization for Self-Reliance Social Justice and Economic Recovery (MAMSER).
A 46-member Panel to review the 1979 Constitution.
The creation of Akwa Ibom, Katsina, Abia, Anambra, Delta, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Osun, Yobe and Taraba States and over 136 new Local Government Areas with take off grants.
Direct funding of Local Government Areas from the Federal Government to make them autonomous.

National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA).
National Orientation Agency (NOA) formerly known as the ‘‘Mass Mobilization for Self-Reliance Social Justice and
National Directorate of Employment (NDE).
Federal Environment Protection Agency (FEPA).
Lagos Third Mainland Bridge.
Federal Urban Mass Transit programme.
The 1991 National Population Census (NPC).
National Women Commission.
The Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DIFRRI).
Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
National Housing Fund.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)
Aso Rock presidential villa
National Assembly complex
Option A4
Commission of the Onne Fertilizer Plant in Rivers State.
The 260 million dollars Petrol Chemical Plant in Kaduna.
Establishment of four (4) bodies in one day National Population Commission,
National Revenue Mobilization Commission, Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal.
NNPC Escravos- Lagos Gas Pipeline at Egbin,
National Electoral Commission (NEC).
Elesa Eleme Refinery in River State.
Children Trust Fund.

Resumed diplomatic relations with Israel
Central Bank Autonomy Decree,
Others were: NAFDAC; Ecomog; Reduction of import duties on newsprint, etc.

Onlytruth:

For now, I'm with IBB. Abiola mob can't shout me down.

hahahahaha . . lol

Anu ana agba egbe o na ata chewing gum!!! 

Onlytruth:

For now, I'm with IBB. Abiola mob can't shout me down.

Are you drunk I dont care about Mko Abiola why would I vote for someone who was in government for 8 good years, who is the same type of northern elite? The same Person who feared Southerners will take power back?

Atleast Jonathan is new- Even if hes bad, hes better than IBB. Id rather support the igboman-ijawman Jonathan than supprt IBB.