The South-south yesterday raised the stake in the permutations for the 2011 presidential election as it asked President Goodluck Jonathan to openly declare his interest in the race and to run in next year’s election.

Political leaders and stakeholders in the region at the South-south Stakeholders’ Forum held at Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, resolved to back their ‘son’ for the exalted position, which they said was placed on their laps by “divine intervention”.
Jonathan is from the Ijaw state of Bayelsa in the zone.

And as the 19 Northern governors meet today in Kaduna to decide on zoning, some of the state chief executives are insisting on the retention of zoning of the presidency in the North in a move to up the ante and get a good political bargain.

THISDAY has also gathered that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) are eagerly waiting for the outcome of the Northern governors’ meeting.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that Vice-President Namadi Sambo is moving round his former colleagues, the 19 governors of the Northern states, to get them to discard the zoning arrangement and endorse President Jonathan for 2011.

The South-south at the summit lamented that the region has neither produced a president nor head of state in the 50 years of Nigeria as a sovereign state despite its contributions to the country.
Every notable political heavyweight in the region was in attendance at the summit, which was convened by the South-south governors. Each of the six states in the region sent 40 delegates to the meeting.

In a communiqué at the end of the summit, the South-south stakeholders urged the President to contest and to declare his intention immediately as his brief sojourn in power “has proved his ability and commitment to steer the ship of state to a successful berth”.
The stakeholders resolved as follows: “Summit believes in President Jonathan’s resolve to give Nigeria credible electoral reforms, which he began by appointing a world-acclaimed social crusader and defender of equity, honesty and integrity, Professor Attahiru Jega as the country’s new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and calls on all Nigerians to support the amended constitution.

“Summit believes in the incontrovertible position of the Nigerian constitution that gives full rights to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, above all other considerations, to aspire to the position of president at the 2011 elections, more so as the zone, in spite of its enormous contributions to Nigeria’s GDP, is yet to produce a President or Head of State in the fifty (50) years of Nigeria’s existence as a sovereign nation
“Accordingly, summit hereby unanimously calls on Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to openly declare his interest in the 2011 presidential election without further delay and to run for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“While assuring President Jonathan of total and undiluted support of the entire South-south, summit calls on all other geo-political zones, organizations, communities and constituencies to support this quest to deepen, widen and consolidate democracy by supporting Goodluck Jonathan for President.”
The forum expressed its belief in achieving its agitation by constitutional means within one and indivisible Nigeria , which they pledged loyalty to and resolve to continue in helping to build a virile nation where the rights of individual members would be respected.

The forum commended late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua whom they eulogised for deftly pursuing the interest of the people of the region, adding that since Yar’Adua was on a joint ticket with Jonathan, it was simple logic that since the boss was no longer in position to complete the tenure, his deputy should do so.
The leaders reminded the North that they had been loyal even to the preservation of the unity of the country as their support for Biafra would have seen the end of Nigeria but they acted in support of the North, which is the reason Nigeria did not disintegrate.

They further charged all interest groups in the region to mobilise and lobby other regions for their support as Jonathan was not going to be a regional president but the president of the entire country.
Speaking at the well-attended forum, First Republic Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark charged the region not to be silent anymore but to come together and speak with one voice and insist that their economic and political contributions mandate other regions of the country especially the North to reciprocate their past support for them.

He said no principle like zoning should be allowed to occasion injustice, reminding those clamouring for zoning that the principle died in 2003 and therefore should not be revived just to hurt the interest of the South-south.
Chairman of the South-south Governors Forum, Senator Liyel Imoke, said they convened the forum to forge a common front in realising the goal of producing a viable and corrupt free leadership for the country.

Former Minister of Works and member of PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, warned the country against conducting the 2011 elections in January as proposed in the amended constitution portends danger and would not guarantee a free and fair poll.
Anenih who said he was refraining from commenting on zoning issue as it “had been battered beyond recognition”, adding that as the nation was turning 50 as a sovereign state, there was need for a focused and energetic leader to give the country a new lease of life.

Various speakers like the Chairman of the South-south Caucus in the House of Representatives, Chief Andrew Uchendu, spoke of their support for the project while Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State also pledged the support of the state for the project, saying it is a mission accomplished.
Former Bayelsa State Governor Diepriye Alamieseigha who spoke on behalf of former governors canvassed a strategic plan that would not be discussed in the open on how to achieve the goal.

The outgoing ANPP National Chairman, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, told THISDAY that the party is waiting to see the position to be taken by the Northern governors.
This, he said, would determine ANPP’s position, saying “we will shock PDP. We are waiting.”
All the 19 Northern Governors have indicated their interest in attending today's meeting, some officials of the Northern Governors' Forum (NGF) secretariat told THISDAY.
Sources close to the Vice-President said Sambo has involved himself in the zoning issue and has urged his former colleagues to support President Jonathan if he decides to contest in next year's election.

"I can tell you that the VP has since last week been urging his former colleagues to discard the zoning issue at least for now. He has also told them to consider the overall interest of the country in their decision on the matter," the source said.
THISDAY gathered that some politicians close to the vice-president have also been involved in the effort.

One of Sambo's special advisers, Alhaji Hussaini Jallo, is said to have been busy mobilising support for Jonathan in the region.
It is not clear yet how the governors are responding to Sambo's subtle pressure but sources said support for Jonathan is rising in the North.


http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=179278

and in other news the sky is blue

Politics for this country makes me laugh.I just saw a news on ait on the meeting by the 'northern elders' in kaduna.If you see the no of army patrol cars.army and mopol at the the scene you will feel thst there is a civil breakdown there