By Tony EDIKE, Enugu
A former presidential aspirant of the defunct Social Democratic Party, SDP, Dr Edward Godsmark Ugwu has said that President Goodluck Jonathan has the right under the 1999 Constitution to stay in office as president in the next four years.

He argued that the president was entitled to a four-year tenure beginning from May 5 when he was sworn in following the death of former president Umar Musa Yar’Adua and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC not to conduct fresh presidential election next year.

Speaking at a press conference in Enugu, Dr. Ugwu said he would proceed to the Supreme Court of Nigeria to seek interpretation of section 135 paragraphs 2 (a) (b) (c) of the 1999 constitution should the INEC goes ahead to conduct election for office of the president in 2011.

Ugwu, who is a senior lecturer at the Institute of Management and Technology, IMT, Enugu, insisted that President Jonathan received overwhelming votes by the National Assembly to become acting president before the demise of the former president, adding that  he was subsequently sworn in as president based on section 136 (1) (2)  of the Nigerian Constitution.

“Section 135 paragraphs 2 (a) (b) (c) says that the president shall vacate his office at the expiration of a period of four years commencing from the date when he took oath of allegiance and Oath of office.

“We have to read various sections of the constitution to appreciate the wisdom behind the ascendancy of President Goodluck Jonathan as Commander_in_Chief of the Federation,” he stated.

He maintained that the people of Nigeria met through their representatives in the National   Assembly  and mandated Jonathan to   be  president of the country, arguing further  that  the president would have been asked to vacate office in 2011 if his predecessor (Yar’Adua) had transmitted power to him in accordance with the constitution.

“The National Assembly mandated Jonathan to be president. The endorsement has given him the mandate to rule for four years because the late president failed to transmit power. If Goodluck is not allowed to rule for 4 years, I will go to Supreme Court for proper interpretation of the constitution.

“Based on the foregoing, I recommend that President Good luck Jonathan should be allowed to serve for four years bearing in mind that the letters of the constitution is unequivocal and clear and allows Mr. President to be in office for four years no more ,no less.

If we are in doubt about the constitutional grounds for this recommendation then we should go Supreme Court for an interpretation of the various sections of the law” Dr. Ugwu said.

He, therefore, called on INEC to postpone the presidential election scheduled for 2011 to 2014 when “Goodluck must have served for four years as allowed by the constitution.”

Ugwu,  who was a former governorship candidate of the Republican Party of Nigeria, RPN in Enugu State, advised leaders of the North and South to “close ranks and support President Jonathan to continue in office for four years.

On the Amnesty granted by the Federal Government to militants in South_South geopolitical Zone of the country, he said there was need to also extend the amnesty to President Jonathan to enable him serve for four years.

He congratulated the Governor of Enugu, Sullivan Chime for standing firmly in support of Dr Okwersilieze Nwodo, who was recently declared as National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, adding that he is Primus Inter –Paris in all areas of endeavors.”