A LEADER of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Lawal Kaita yesterday urged President Goodluck Jonathan not to vie for the presidency in 2011 in the interest of peace and tranquility in the country.

But the Action Congress (AC) chairman in Plateau State, Chief Amos Gizo has said that Jonathan is free to contest if he feels that Nigerians are satisfied with his performance.

Kaita who was governor of the old Kaduna State based his position on the PDP's rotation of power principle between the north and the south.

Fielding questions from reporters after paying a condolence visit to the family home of the late president, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, he warned that the north would do all within its power to stop Jonathan from occupying the presidential seat beyond 2011.

Wishing Jonathan the best of luck between now and 2011 when the seat of the presidency would be vacant, he noted: " He must not dare contest because he would suffer defeat at the poll. The seat of the presidency is a northern slot and unless Jonathan resigns from the PDP; or unless there is a convention and the PDP reverses the rotation of power formula, there is nothing he can do about the situation."

Reminded that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had just flatly denied the existence of an arrangement like the rotation of power principle in the PDP, he retorted: "He is lying. He is telling lies. When the formula was initiated, he wasn't in the PDP; he was in prison. But he knew about it. If there was no formula, how could he be the president? He is up to mischief; this is pure mischief. The north would resist it totally."

On the challenge before Jonathan on whom to pick as the vice president, he said such person must be a Moslem from any part of the northern part of the country.

http://gistboard.com/content/pdp-ac-chiefs-differ-alleged-jonathans-presidential-bid

2011 is going to be a strange year. I will not be surprise it Goodluck leaves pdp.

Lawal Kaita is speaking for his HouseHold in Kaduna.

Chief Amos Gizo is also from the North and he has other ideas.