Source: Nigerian Tribune
15/02/2010

Sources close to the seat of government informed Nigerian Tribune that the acting president had told his close allies not to orchestrate any talk of his seeking office in 2011.

A source said that the former Bayelsa State governor was concerned about how to hit the ground running and deliver some democracy dividends to the people.

“The acting president is eager to deliver on electoral promises of his party; he is not given to talk about seeking election or re-election. He wants to perform so that the country can get some respite,” a source said.

The source also said that the acting president was resolute on ensuring free and fair election as he had demonstrated during the just concluded gubernatorial election in Anambra State.

“During that election, the acting president called the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Maurice Iwu, and insisted that nobody must be allowed to rig the election. He also told the Inspector General of Police that he did not want to hear of any shooting and deaths during the election. His orders were carried out and we had an election that was hailed by all.

“Iwu even confessed to some people that he had to withstand pressure from some top politicians to ensure that the election was not tilted, once the acting president had spoken,” a source said.

The source also quoted the acting president as saying that his major concern for now was to deliver on some promises, work on restructuring of the power sector to facilitate improved power generation and supply and ensure the delivery of infrastructure, both in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country.
There have been concerns among some northern politicians as to whether Jonathan would contest the 2011 elections if he remained in office till the end of the year.

In line with the zoning arrangement of the PDP, the presidency is zoned to the North, while the South produces the vice-president.

But the fear now is that, if Jonathan remains in the office to complete the tenure of the ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua, he might be tempted to seek the office and exhaust the term of the South-South.

Besides, it was gathered that the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU) closely monitored the process leading to the enthronement of Vice-President Jonathan as acting president on February 9.

It was gathered that the US had been on top of the Nigerian situation since December 2009 and that its officials had been coordinating issues on the developments in the country.



The US and the EU countries were said to have shared information and intelligence and eventually steered Nigeria off the path of anti-democratic forces.

The US was said to have evolved a series of efforts at monitoring strategic institutions in Nigeria to consistently ensure that it remained a democratic country.

Sources said the US and the EU were concerned that any attempt to tamper with Nigeria’s democracy as a result of the failure of President Yar’Adua to hand over power to his deputy would trigger resistance from the South-South and, possibly, the South-West, which were seen as very close to the Ijaws of the Niger Delta.

“Such reactions can only bring negative developments to the survival of Nigeria and the Western countries were clear on this,” a source said.

Aondoakaa lands in Sierra Leone
The former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Michael Aondoakaa, has broken ranks with members of President Yar’Adua’s kitchen cabinet, who were still bent on dealing with Acting President Jonathan.

The former AGF left Abuja, on Thursday, for Lagos with only one aide.

He did not disclose his actual destination, though he had suggested that he was travelling abroad.

Contrary to requests that he should travel to Saudi Arabia to link up with some forces plotting against the acting president, it was gathered that Aondoakaa decided to travel to Sierra Leone, where he intended to spend the one and a half week holiday granted him by the acting president.

A source said Aondoakaa left office, on Thursday, without a clear information to his security aides on his destination but it was believed that he was heading for Saudi Arabia.

He later travelled aboard a Virgin Nigeria airline to Sierra Leone, where he intended to embark on some quiet time to reflect on his roles in government.

A source said that Aondoakaa had finally decided to break off from the series of plots being orchestrated by members of the kitchen cabinet to truncate the rule of the acting president.

“He said he will no longer be involved in any suit aimed at truncating the tenure of the acting president and that he will, henceforth, be an agent of peace.

“He is convinced that the option taken by the National Assembly has resolved the power vacuum and he will not be linked with any suit to embarrass the acting president,” a source said on Sunday.

Notwithstanding Aondoakaa’s decision to hands off opposition to the Jonathan presidency, sources said members of the kitchen cabinet were still bitter against the emergence of Jonathan and had vowed to bring his tenure to an abrupt end through the myriad of courts cases.

It was also learnt that the aggrieved parties were busy spreading bad blood among some forces in the North about the true story of the emergence of acting president Jonathan on February 9.

Sources, ( Another definition of lazy journalism)

deor03:

Sources, ( Another definition of lazy journalism)

@ deor03
http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/1323-2011-count-me-out-acting-president.html