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Former Vice
President, Atiku Abubakar, appears unrelenting in his call for the
return of power to north, as he declared yesterday that Nigerians
should not support Goodluck Jonathan because of his decision to contest
next year’s election against the wish of some politicians from the
north.

“This was a man
who sat at a PDP caucus meeting where a vote was taken over the
presidency and he voted for the zoning motion and has subsequently
developed amnesia,” Mr Abubakar said in a statement yesterday. “Given
this antecedent, does anyone think that candidate Jonathan will
recognize term limits in the probable assumption that Nigerians entrust
him with the responsibility of leading them?”

The former Vice
President’s statement was in reference to a caucus meeting of the PDP
held in December 2002, where leaders of the party met and agreed that
the PDP rotates the presidency between the Northern and Southern part
of Nigeria every eight years.

NEXT had
previously reported how 51 leaders of the PDP, including Mr Jonathan
who was then the deputy governor of Bayelsa State; Mr Abubakar and
former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, met in December 2002 and agreed
that power be rotated between the north and southern part of Nigeria
every eight years.

The resolution of
that meeting was however criticised by some members of the party, who
claimed that the meeting was held to satisfy the political ambition of
Mr Abubakar.

“It was a
political gimmick, an understanding to get a soft landing for Atiku,
who felt that he should have been given the opportunity to contest (in
2003), so that he can be the party’s candidate in 2007,” said Bernard
Mikko, a former PDP member of the House of Representatives.

Blame the president

Mr Abubakar also
blamed the presidency for the disruption of the summit organised by
some politicians from the south-eastern part of the country recently.

“This government
by denials will not, by any standard, help the course of Nigeria’s
development and the confidence of its people. The Commissioner of
Police in Imo State takes orders from the Inspector General of Police,
who in turn reports to the president,” he said.

“But when a
Commander-in-chief fails to take responsibility for a clampdown on a
legitimate gathering, denies knowledge of it and fails to hold anyone
responsible, it becomes difficult to trust that leadership.”