President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday publicly lamented that he was unable to make a Yoruba politician the Speaker of the House of Representatives after 2011 general elections because of the selfish agenda of some Yoruba leaders.

He spoke at the Yoruba Unity Summit with the theme: “National Development: Wither the Yoruba,” which held at the Oduduwa Hall of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

Jonathan who was the special guest of honour at the event organised by the Yoruba Unity Forum, said he recognised the Southwest as a key player in the country and was still haunted by that unfortunate incident in 2011 when his desire to repay the Yoruba for their support for him was lost.

Mulikat Akande had then vied to be Speaker of the House of Representatives but lost to Aminu Tambuwal of the Northwest because of inadequate support from her Southwestern colleagues.

Recalling the events, the President said: “I thank you all for the support in the past elections. One of the problems I faced in the National Assembly is that I felt the right thing should be done because our party, the PDP, has a formula.

“We have six geo-political zones in the country and when the President emerges from one of the geo-political zones, the Vice-President emerges from another geo-political zone, the rest core offices, the Senate President, the Speaker, Secretary to Federal Government, the chairman of the party must come from different geo-political zones.

“The idea is that, whenever we are distributing board positions and some of these appointments, whenever we are appointing ministers, all these people sit to take decisions. In that case we want all the geo-political zones to be in the inner caucus that take critical decisions.

“The last time, it was difficult for me because I insisted that the Southwest must get the Speaker. Of course, I couldn’t go through with it because some of us within the Southwest didn’t want it, based on some personal reasons. I am still suffering from that till today.

“That is one of the reasons the leaders said, this time around, we must work collectively so that whatever position is zoned to the Southwest, we should get that position. People should not rob it from us.”

He expressed his belief in one Nigeria and challenged the Yoruba to be united even as he declared that the contributions of the Southwest to national unity would always be cherished.

Jonathan also noted the significance of the Southwest in the nation’s economy as he recalled that the region, particularly Lagos and Ogun states, control 55 per cent of the economy, a reason he remains committed to providing the people with infrastructure, electricity and other resources to further boost the economy.

“With unity, we can go to the moon. The Yoruba will not be left behind,” he added.

The President noted that the Yoruba had joined the national political fray with vigour and enterprise and were never afraid of internal debate among themselves, a reason for their being in the vanguard of demand for a national conference, as had just been concluded by his administration.

He again promised to implement the recommendations of the conference although he pointed out that there were some things he could not say or do immediately, as they could be deliberately given partisan consideration by desperate politicians who “are even ready to kill.”

Also, Akande noted that the Southwest had been relegated in the political arrangement of the nation not due to any deliberate action of Jonathan but because of Yoruba disunity.

“We should support his re-election bid, and we believe that he will reward us by reinstating us to our rightful place,” she stated.

In his fiery remarks, Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, urged President Jonathan not to be bothered or intimidated by former President Obasanjo’s criticisms because they are only made out of spite, which cannot be appeased.

He advised the President to stop currying Obasanjo’s favour and replying his several jabs because the former President would never support Jonathan’s re-election bid.

He said: “You know it more than you know me. He will never want a man with an independent mind. Mr. President, you have refused to tread the path of unconstitutionality. You have refused to level Borno and other states like he levelled Odi. You have taken your time to respect human lives by not committing crimes against humanity. He won’t like that.

“And, Your Excellency, the more you try to curry (favour of) Obasanjo, the more he will continue to despise you.

“If you continue to curry him, we are not going to curry him. He doesn’t like people that give him respect. I plead with Your Excellency. Your second term has been concluded in heaven. Fear not.

“When Obasanjo accuses people and government of the day of corruption, what happened to the N50 million shared during the third term agenda?

“I earned less than N300, 000 as governor of Ekiti State during my first coming. Your Excellency, the donation of N10 million to Obasanjo Library, what do you call that? That is corruption.

“Go and look for the Code of Conduct, the forms filled by President Obasanjo and his wealth today. We knew when he came back from prison. We knew the situation, we knew his wealth when he came out.

“If you don’t speak each time Obasanjo speaks in the papers, we must reply him. When people talk and we are addressing you here, that is not the issue. If he talks again, we will give him an answer.

“You are not supposed to reply him. You are a complete gentlemen. Decorum is part of business. We are telling you again, the moment he says the next one, we will engage him. This is not a country where after serving your own tenure, what you cannot take, you are giving it to others.”

Chairman of the National Conference Planning Committee, and Yoruba elder statesman, Femi Okurounmi, spoke in the same vein, as he tasked Jonathan not to betray millions of Nigerians by succumbing to blackmail and intimidation ahead of the 2015 presidential election.

He said the religious intolerance in some parts of the country is quite odious and it was no happenstance that as elections draw nearer the incidences of terror become fiercer.

“They just want to deter you. I don’t think you should succumb to blackmail and intimidation. It will be a let down to millions of Nigerians who believe that any tribe or group in Nigeria can become leader of this country. Victory will be yours in 2015,” he told the President.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, led some other traditional rulers to the event.

However, some students of the institution were not comfortable with the event and staged a protest, attempting to haul missiles at President Jonathan during the visit.

The placards-wielding students who gathered at the Oduduwa Hall, venue of the conference, booed and shouted at the President for the rot in the educational system.

The irate protesters shouted unprintable words at the President and other notable politicians who attended the event.

The students were armed with placards with inscriptions like “we condemn Jos killing of students, students are not chicken”, Don’t sell education as you sold electricity, We demand total reversal of 2014 hiked school fees, and We are not responsible for Jonathan’s ineptitude,” among other inscriptions.

The students who were in their hundreds barricaded the road leading to the institution’s Sport Centre where the chopper wearing the seal of the Federal Government and marked Nigerian Air Force, NAF-280, requesting that President Jonathan address them before departing the campus.

In the ensuing protest, the convoy of President Jonathan was delayed for few minutes as the students refused the President and his entourage passage to board the chopper despite pleadings by some security operatives.

PhockPhockMan:
The only reason I respect Tinubu is the way he masterfully brainwashed some Yoruba youths into believing that their problems is Jonathan instead of him. A powerful speakership Jonathan gave yorubas, Tinubu connived and threw it away for selfish reasons.
No matter how long a night last, their must be day break.

OrlandoOwoh:
It's too late for Jonathan to start regreting. It's obvious he is losing in 2015. He even knows it. Is there any problem among the Yoruba people? Why this gathering on unity? What kind of gathering of traditional Yoruba rulers you only find the Ooni of Ife and the Owo Ibokun of Ijeshaland as the only prominent? Where are the Alaafin of Oyo, the Oba of Lagos, the Olubadan of Ibadan, the Awujale of Ijebu, the Alake of Egba, the Soun of Ogbomosho, the Osamawe of Ondo, the Deji of Akure, the Akran of Badagry, etc? How come the Ataoja of Oshogbo in Osun State was not present?

baLLoTBOxX:
I believe the 2 that attended only showed up to deceive/dupe him cos they can never cajole their people to vote for him. OAU students are an example.

KHAYGOLD:
So, security operatives could plead? I always respect students. Fearsome when it comesto violence. They always know their claim and right.

Mulikat Akande had then vied to be Speaker of the House of
Representatives but lost to Aminu Tambuwal of the Northwest
because of inadequate support from her Southwestern colleagues. yeah

baLLoTBOxX:
Too late to shed crocodile tears. What did you do when a PDP leader was calling the APC a yoruba amala and ewedu party in anambra? You were seated there urging them on as they ridiculed awolowo. His spirit gave you a taste of disgrace to come when you visited a great university named after him, as the students chanted and called you and your cohorts thieves. Where's our lagos-ibadan expressway? Is it now you want to repair all the junk federal roads in lagos? Oh, you suddenly realised that the votes from SS and SE can't help you retain aso rock so you now. need those of the SW. I thought those 2 regions were the pillar of your government as you proudly announced to the world as if they were the only regions you that got you elected. Even if they were, should a president be making such divisive statements? I was never a tribalist but you woke up my tribal conscience. We are glad tambuwal became the speaker cos we yorubas aren't fools. That seat was a bargain for the huge political relevance we are enjoying today. Who doesn't know that having a yoruba man there via the fraudulent PDP zoning would have favoured you and only you as he would do your bidding just as the senate has been doing? The Mulikat you wanted to install is from my constituency in ogbomosho and I was on ground in 2011 when she came begging to be re-elected as she shared N500 notes to the people and dropped a transformer too weak to carry the load of the neighborhood. Her brake light hasn't been seen since then. That's enough to show you that you would have just empowered an individual yoruba instead of the whole of them. What did patricia etteh and dimeji bankole benefit the yorubas? They only enriched themselves. Your government enriches individuals only. We are not like fools who sing your praises cos you gave their tribes men political posts. What we want are developments. Am glad you failed in installing mulikat cos we would have faced the kind of thuggery the fayose you gave federal backing is delivery to the ekiti people. I hear you are bringing obanikoro for lagos. Bring it on! Why do you associate yourself with thugs, fraudsters, drug barons, militants and looters? Mr president, you disappointed not only the yorubas but also sane nigerians. We voted massively for you in 2011, am sorry to say this in tears: you won't have our votes anymore.

PhockPhockMan:
The only reason I respect Tinubu is the way he masterfully brainwashed some Yoruba youths into believing that their problems is Jonathan instead of him. A powerful speakership Jonathan gave yorubas, Tinubu connived and threw it away for selfish reasons.
No matter how long a night last, their must be day break.

omokidew:
"Me" thinks Tinubu played him inorder to get something larger on the long run. Its called strategy!

PhockPhockMan:
The only reason I respect Tinubu is the way he masterfully brainwashed some Yoruba youths into believing that their problems is Jonathan instead of him. A powerful speakership Jonathan gave yorubas, Tinubu connived and threw it away for selfish reasons.
No matter how long a night last, their must be day break.

“The last time, it was difficult for me because I insisted that the Southwest must get the Speaker. Of course, I couldn’t go through with it because some of us within the Southwest didn’t want it, based on some personal reasons. I am still suffering from that till today.

“That is one of the reasons the leaders said, this time around, we must work collectively so that whatever position is zoned to the Southwest, we should get that position. People should not rob it from us.”
.

baLLoTBOxX:
Too late to shed crocodile tears. What did you do when a PDP leader was calling the APC a yoruba amala and ewedu party in anambra? You were seated there urging them on as they ridiculed awolowo. His spirit gave you a taste of disgrace to come when you visited a great university named after him, as the students chanted and called you and your cohorts thieves. Where's our lagos-ibadan expressway? Is it now you want to repair all the junk federal roads in lagos? Oh, you suddenly realised that the votes from SS and SE can't help you retain aso rock so you now. need those of the SW. I thought those 2 regions were the pillar of your government as you proudly announced to the world as if they were the only regions you that got you elected. Even if they were, should a president be making such divisive statements? I was never a tribalist but you woke up my tribal conscience. We are glad tambuwal became the speaker cos we yorubas aren't fools. That seat was a bargain for the huge political relevance we are enjoying today. Who doesn't know that having a yoruba man there via the fraudulent PDP zoning would have favoured you and only you as he would do your bidding just as the senate has been doing? The Mulikat you wanted to install is from my constituency in ogbomosho and I was on ground in 2011 when she came begging to be re-elected as she shared N500 notes to the people and dropped a transformer too weak to carry the load of the neighborhood. Her brake light hasn't been seen since then. That's enough to show you that you would have just empowered an individual yoruba instead of the whole of them. What did patricia etteh and dimeji bankole benefit the yorubas? They only enriched themselves. Your government enriches individuals only. We are not like fools who sing your praises cos you gave their tribes men political posts. What we want are developments. Am glad you failed in installing mulikat cos we would have faced the kind of thuggery the fayose you gave federal backing is delivery to the ekiti people. I hear you are bringing obanikoro for lagos. Bring it on! Why do you associate yourself with thugs, fraudsters, drug barons, militants and looters? Mr president, you disappointed not only the yorubas but also sane nigerians. We voted massively for you in 2011, am sorry to say this in tears: you won't have our votes anymore.

baLLoTBOxX:
Too late to shed crocodile tears. What did you do when a PDP leader was calling the APC a yoruba amala and ewedu party in anambra? You were seated there urging them on as they ridiculed awolowo. His spirit gave you a taste of disgrace to come when you visited a great university named after him, as the students chanted and called you and your cohorts thieves. Where's our lagos-ibadan expressway? Is it now you want to repair all the junk federal roads in lagos? Oh, you suddenly realised that the votes from SS and SE can't help you retain aso rock so you now. need those of the SW. I thought those 2 regions were the pillar of your government as you proudly announced to the world as if they were the only regions you that got you elected. Even if they were, should a president be making such divisive statements? I was never a tribalist but you woke up my tribal conscience. We are glad tambuwal became the speaker cos we yorubas aren't fools. That seat was a bargain for the huge political relevance we are enjoying today. Who doesn't know that having a yoruba man there via the fraudulent PDP zoning would have favoured you and only you as he would do your bidding just as the senate has been doing? The Mulikat you wanted to install is from my constituency in ogbomosho and I was on ground in 2011 when she came begging to be re-elected as she shared N500 notes to the people and dropped a transformer too weak to carry the load of the neighborhood. Her brake light hasn't been seen since then. That's enough to show you that you would have just empowered an individual yoruba instead of the whole of them. What did patricia etteh and dimeji bankole benefit the yorubas? They only enriched themselves. Your government enriches individuals only. We are not like fools who sing your praises cos you gave their tribes men political posts. What we want are developments. Am glad you failed in installing mulikat cos we would have faced the kind of thuggery the fayose you gave federal backing is delivery to the ekiti people. I hear you are bringing obanikoro for lagos. Bring it on! Why do you associate yourself with thugs, fraudsters, drug barons, militants and looters? Mr president, you disappointed not only the yorubas but also sane nigerians. We voted massively for you in 2011, am sorry to say this in tears: you won't have our votes anymore.