By HENRY UMORU ABUJA—AHEAD of 2015 presidential election, Adamawa stakeholders in Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said Wednesday, that only the Supreme Court can determine whether or not President Goodluck has the right to run for the presidential election. According to the PDP stakeholders, if President Jonathancontests for another term of four years in 2015 and gets the position, he will have then succeeded himself in office as President for a cumulative period of nine years 23 days, against the constitutional provision of eight years. The PDP stakeholders, who warned that PDP must be careful not to play into the hands of the opposition, the All Progressives Congress, APC, Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM and others, stressed that those currently pushing for Jonathan’s Presidency come 2015 on the basisof ethnicity or religion as a yardstick for their support for him,were not doing him or the polity any good. In a statement signed by former governorship aspirant, Dr. Umar Ardo, the stakeholders said: “It hasthe tendency of alienating other ethnic and religious groups againstthe President. How then does that help the cause of the PDP and thePresident, seeing that the alienatedgroups are by far in the majority? President Goodluck Jonathan “The President needs the majority, and not the minority, to win his elections. With all due apologies tothe Governors Forum, let it be always remembered that elections are won with higher votes, and notwith lower votes. “But I want to emphasize one most important thing here though,ultimately only the Supreme Courtcan determine whether or not President Jonathan can even contest the 2015 presidential elections. “As I said some time ago, if the President contests for another term of four years in 2015, he would have self-succeeded himselfin office as President for a cumulative period of nine years 23days. This is beyond the eight yearsmaximum period prescribed by theconstitution and vicariously interpreted by the Supreme Court. “Most people may not see it, but this issue is a very serious constitutional barricade standing against the candidacy of the President in 2015. Neither the President’s supporters nor his opponents, nor even the Presidenthimself can determine this matter. ‘ ’Only the Supreme Court can do so; certainly not even the pronouncement of a High Court can suffice. To take it as given thatthe president can contest in 2015 is a grave error of judgment. I am making this press release against the backdrop of the current agitations for and against PresidentJonathan’s candidacy in 2015 that have lately been tearing, especiallythe peoples of the core North andthe Middle Belt, apart.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Aug 2013 05:29:59 +0000