Alhaji Bala Hadith is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi State. He believes that the North should support President Goodluck Jonathan for a term of four years. The acting national secretary of the new People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) founded by the late General Shehu Yar Adua, said the group is mobilising support for success of the Goodluck/Sambo ticket in the April general elections. He added that after Jonathan’s four-year tenure, the presidency should go back to the North. Excerpts:

The new PDM
We have been waiting for the leadership of PDM to call us and give us direction but nobody had the gut to call for a such meeting. But we have been receiving calls from states, we should meet to decide our direction. Last week we decided to meet in Abuja and almost all states were represented. We call ourselves new PDP group like minds.

We deliberated on the political development of the country. We discussed various issues such as INEC, performance of police and what they are going to do, the candidate we are going to support and other national issues. After hours of delibraion, we declared our total support to our president, Goodluck Jonathan and promised to continue to have meetings, go back to our various states to mobilise and speak to people of like minds to vote Jonathan for the reasons we have already discussed. The reasons are, we want national unity, we don’t want political bigotry that will promote disharmony, political thuggery. We want political stability.

We have been enjoying the support of the people of the South South we from the North since 60s. This support that we have been enjoying is part of the reason that Tafawa Balewa formed his government during NPC. When we came to NPN, South South also supported the North almost 100 percent. When we came to SDP, South South also supported Shehu Yar’Adua, which extended to Chief MKO Abiola.

We came again and we discussed that this is a very important reason why the North should support Jonathan. By the way, Jonathan has declared that he will contest only for one term and by the year 2015, he will no more contest election. So this is a very good development politically and everybody knows PDM, even the old one and the new one, we have supporters from wards, LGs, states and federal level.

In effect, zoning still alive, and what about the Igbo from the South East?
Zoning is not based North East or North West. It is based on North and South. So once the South finishes it will come back to the North and we the North will decide whether it should go to North West, Central or North East.

What is your assessment of INEC?
We have given Jega pass mark. We are now appreciating his actions but we are praying his lieutenants would follow his footsteps to conduct free and fair elections.
Why didn’t PDM throw its weight behind Buhari or any one of your own?
The new PDM is mainly PDP members, some are CPC, some ACN. We convinced ourselves that we want national unity because our leader, his motto is No North, No West No South, but Nigeria. That is why we are also saying Nigeria. Whether you are Yopruba, Igbo, Hausa, Urhobo, or Itsekiri, Christians or Muslims, we are all Nigerians. There are good people all over the country therefore we have decided to support Jonathan because he is very humble. He has started going to our leaders in the North not just because he is still the president, no but because he wants this country to move together united for peace, harmony, progress. That is why he went to kneel down in front of Ciroma, as his father, as his leader, as his host. What Jonathan did is credible, respecting the leaders of this country be it from the North, South and so on.

For states like Bauchi, what is PDM doing to deliver such states to Jonathan?
In politics, you can’t force the people to vote for who they don’t like. You can only appeal to them, you tell them his qualities, you tell them what will benefit them. We are not going to force anybody. You have the right to decide and we are not going to de-efrancise.

Governor Yuguda and the FCT minister, Bala Mohammed crisis.
I appeal to them to come together and discuss their differences themselves and find a common solution for the benefit of the common man. I also pray for peaceful coexistence because I am very close to the minister and the governor and I don’t want to interfere. I want them to come together and unite. Everybody has his own grudges, problems which you cannot say what you are doing is wrong, no. I was with the former governor, Ahmed Mu’azu, and each one of them has the progress of the state at heart. We will all die and leave the state but we should die and leave it in peace and progress for our children.

Election violence
The PDM will write the Inspector General of Police to appeal to him to make sure that there is peaceful elections and police did not harass anybody. He must ensure that his men are doing their work. We are concerned about ballot snatching and it won’t augur well for democracy if we don’t check it. In some states, some candidates were denied their rights to go and campaign. This is sad. We hope this will be addressed.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/mar/23/national-23-03-2011-018.htm

jona, why are you doing this?!!

You people and your foolish stories. The Wole Soyinka one nefa clear from una eyes yet, but una still de lie!

The last I heard of Ciroma people, was GEJ hunting down and locking the vultures up.

no mate. the last you heard of ciroma he was meeting johnny boy on friday night:

For the umpteenth time, the Friday night meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF), led by Mallam Adamu Ciroma, was deadlocked. But the two camps might meet again before the end of the month on grey areas.

As part of the continuation of the February 18 dialogue between the two groups, Jonathan had met with top shots of the NPLF in Abuja including ex-President Ibrahim Babangida,  ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and others.

It was gathered that the meeting was essentially at the instance of the President to secure the backing of the Northern leaders for the April 9 presidential election.

The negotiation was however described by a reliable source as “still ding-dong.”

The source, who gave an  insight into Friday’s meeting said: “The report of the seven-man team raised on February 18 was considered with key issues revolving around three areas. These are dumping zoning to back Jonathan; power shift to the North in 2015 with concrete agreement; and concession of key appointments to the North to assuage its grievances.

“The Northern leaders also brought up more issues like the arrest and coercion of some secretariat staff of the NPLF. They protested against abridgment of the freedom of association and expression of these staff.

“The President took time to explain that he would never be a party to the arrest of anyone. He explained that he has kept faith with Nigerians by upholding the rule of law and tenets of democracy.

“There were assurances that such an ugly trend will not repeat itself.

“But after lengthy discussions, the NPLF leaders restated that they carried a burden on zoning policy and may find it difficult to abandon agitation for this as far as 2011 poll is concerned.

“They said they were being careful in making a decision to back Jonathan so that it would not be a precedent that they have dumped zoning for good.

“The Northern leaders however told Jonathan that after 2015, power must return to the North and that he should go and make a pronouncement. They also demanded an agreement to that effect.

“They are demanding agreement so that they will be sure that Jonathan will actually spend a term in office. Some of them also claimed to have noticed that the President had been reneging on some pronouncements and they do not want some sycophants to prevail on him in 2015 to renege on power shift to the North.

“But Jonathan hesitated and said he cannot make the pronouncement before the elections. I think the President was cautious on this commitment because of the agitation by the South-East for presidency in 2015.

“Also, the President wanted the NPLF leaders to make categorical statement to back him for the April poll to lay to rest all doubts about the North’s support. He also pledged to be fair to the North with some appointments.

“Yet, the Northern leaders were also not forthcoming because of the likely backlash from Northerners.

“I think they have made up their mind not to dump zoning. They however sought for more time for consultations. They are going to meet with the President again before the month runs out.

“It is like keeping the President guessing till the last minute. I think the Northern leaders are anticipating a presidential poll run-off to have far-reaching agreement with the President.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/31236.html

Jona will kneel for the devil as long to solicit for support. It's not new for GEJ to lick asses, so why all the denial. Na today. He can continue to kneel down for all the almajiris for all we care, GEJ is heading fro the creeks, come 29th of May 2011.

shameless president