Director-General of the Jonathan Campaign organisation, Dr. Dalhatu Tafida, on Tuesday said President Goodluck Jonathan‘s position on the contentious issue of zoning as it affects the presidency within the Peoples Democratic Party, was right.



Jonathan had on Monday, while speaking with journalists after submitting nomination form at the PDP headquarters in Abuja, insisted that the ruling party never zoned the presidency to any part of the country.



However, Tafida, who spoke with journalists in Lagos on a number of issues, said the position of the Jonathan on the issue was that zoning only comes up after the president had emerged.



The director-general of the campaign organisation also said that said that the shutting out of top Igbo dignitaries by security agents during a planned summit in Owerri, Imo State, was purely the decision of Governor Ikedi Ohakim, adding that the President had no hand in it.



Tafida said, “These issues are sometimes mutilated by the readers. The President did not say that there is no zoning, but what he has said is that; if you look at the constitution of the party. In 1999 it talked of zoning, but it was not specific about the president. What he also said was that when you have the position of the president emerging, then you can talk of zoning. This is not only a party requirement but that of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.



“For instance, in 1999, the president appeared from the South-West, after then, zoning began. The position of the Vice-President (North-West), Senate President (South-East), Speaker of House of Representatives (North-West) and so on. All these were agreed upon when former President Olusegun Obasanjo was still president-elect. The beacon of zoning is the office of the president. My then position at the Senate as the Majority Leader was part of the national zoning process.



“This was how Jonathan spelt it out; he did not say there was no zoning. Remember he said that he is a product of zoning. That he is part of Yar‘Adua/Jonathan ticket in 2007. We have had more serious positions before when there was definite pronouncement by the party. During Obasanjo era in 1999, people from the North contested. During the era of late President Umaru Yar‘Adua, people from the South also contested.”



Meanwhile, President Jonathan on Tuesday dismissed “perceptions” that he was behind the alleged disruption of the Igbo Political Stakeholders Conference in Owerri, Imo State on Monday.



Jonathan, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ima Niboro, said the perceptions that he was behind the incident were unfounded, especially since it serves him no purpose.



The statement noted that Jonathan did not have any problem in the South-East since the zone had already endorsed his candidacy for the 2011 presidential election.



Jonathan also pointed out that some of his key supporters were affected by the development, as they were present at the conference venue.



The statement added that the President “frowns at any and every abridgement of the fundamental rights of Nigerians.”



Urging “a measure of circumspection on all of today‘s gladiators,” the President said that “ politics of issues, and of healthy debate; not of name calling and unfounded allegations,” should be emphasised.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20100929035530

What is the problem with zoning of pdp, nigerian are tired of all this criminal in power including pro jonathan and pro zoning. we need new hand with new ideaal to give us better leadership, not all this bad egg. let other party and progressive opposition team up and work together as one to flux out PDP, pls Buhari team up withh ACN and other and present a common person to be the president.

Tafida said, “These issues are sometimes mutilated by the readers. The President did not say that there is no zoning, but what he has said is that; if you look at the constitution of the party. In 1999 it talked of zoning, but it was not specific about the president. What he also said was that when you have the position of the president emerging, then you can talk of zoning. This is not only a party requirement but that of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
----------------------------------------------------

is this assertion correct ? anyway zoning is not necessary in a society where there is unity and trust, in an ideal society the best candidate should win.

Goodluck is our choice

McDoe:

Goodluck is our choice

GoodLuck is your choice. Enjoy him As for us, we are sharper; we cannot be duped by con-masters

wales:

What is the problem with zoning of pdp, nigerian are tired of all this criminal in power including pro jonathan and pro zoning. we need new hand with new ideaal to give us better leadership, not all this bad egg. let other party and progressive opposition team up and work together as one to flux out PDP, pls Buhari team up withh ACN and other and present a common person to be the president.

Buhari cannot team up with ACN because ACN is built around Tinubu and his frauds. Buhari is too good to work with a common criminal.

But bet me, Buhari will deliver Nigeria from these criminals.

Godman_n:

GoodLuck is your choice. Enjoy him As for us, we are sharper; we cannot be duped by con-masters
Buhari cannot team up with ACN because ACN is built around Tinubu and his frauds. Buhari is too good to work with a common criminal.

But bet me, Buhari will deliver Nigeria from these criminals.

BUHARI MIGHT BE GOOD BUT BET ME, HE IS TOO PASSIVE AND SLUGISH TO RULE A DIVERSE NATION LIKE NIGERIA. NIGERIAN SITUATIONS NEED IRON HAND.

The NPLF, a major coalition seeking power shift to the North, made its position known in a statement in Abuja, signed by a former President of the Senate, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.

Some members of the forum are: Adamu Ciroma, Yahaya Kwande, Lawal Kaita, Mogaji Dambata, Ahmadu Kurfi, Audu Ogbeh and Tanko Yakassai.

They asked the international community to call the President to order over his actions that are, in their view, capable of undermining the Constitution and democracy.

They also alleged that the President is adopting a do-or-die posture as it was before the 2007 elections.

The group accused the President of intolerance of opposing views in his bid to retain power.

It said: "Recently he falsified history by declaring openly that zoning in the PDP does not include the Office of President and Vice-President. Section 7.2c of the PDP Constitution states clearly that: "In pursuance of the principle of equity, justice and fairness, the party shall adhere to the policy of rotation and zoning of party and public elective offices and it shall be enforced by the appropriate Executive Committee at all levels." It does not give exception to the offices of the President and Vice-President.

"The recent public humiliation of respected political leaders of the Southeast, among whom were a former Vice-President, Senate President, former governors, ministers and highly-respected leaders is symptomatic of dictatorship, which is going out of fashion in other countries of Africa and in the Third World.

"Last month, the administration caused the cancellation of a meeting of Northern governors and other political leaders scheduled to take place in Kaduna. Also, last month, we the NPLF were compelled to issue a public statement condemning the selective targeting of governors and state governments perceived to be pro-zoning and opposed to the unbridled ambition of Goodluck Jonathan.

"Consistent with this mindset, the wife of the President publicly berated the elected Governor of Rivers State. Despite widespread public outcry and condemnation, no apologies were extended to the governor and people of Rivers State. This precipitated mass protests in Port Harcourt.

Jonathan, in a statement by his campaign organisation, rejected the group’s claim. The statement by Director of Media and Publicity of the Goodluck Jonathan/Namadi Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation, Mr Sully Abu, said "allegations of the involvement of the government of President Jonathan in actions which the Forum claimed were ‘capable of undermining democracy and the country’s Constitution’ have become characteristic.

"The allegations were designed to impugn the integrity of the President. In that endeavour, the Forum is bound to fail woefully in the eyes of right-thinking Nigerians.

"We wonder what these political leaders want to bequeath to the country, if they insist on fouling the political atmosphere by overheating the polity through tendentious accusations. We call on Nigerians to ignore such tantrums.

"Agencies of government do not have to wait for any prompting or directive to perform their statutory functions and no one should cast aspersions on the president in this regard.

"Nowhere in the statement is the Forum concerned about the welfare of Nigerians. The focus of the Forum mainly is how to stop President Jonathan from contesting the 2011 presidential election.

"In contrast, President Jonathan’s mission is how to transform Nigeria and to touch the lives of the populace in a positive way.

"We counsel all politicians to heed the advice of President Jonathan to run issues-based campaign as he will not be intimidated by any manner of underhand and diversionary tactics from the political opposition under any guise.

"We seize this opportunity to emphasise that President Jonathan is running on a national, not sectional or zonal platform, and call on his opponents to do the same."