*As Bayelsa politicians, activists  pressure him to run

Jos — The people of Plateau yesterday in Jos adopted President Goodluck Jonathan as their “sole candidate” for the 2011 presidential election.

According to reports, the adoption followed a stakeholders’ forum attended by interest groups drawn from the 17 local government areas of the state.

Preparing the ground for the adoption, Chairman of the forum and former Deputy Senate President, Senator Wash Pam, said Jonathan was the “most qualified” to continue with the seven-point agenda.

“No one is more qualified than Jonathan to continue with the amnesty programme of this administration which is needed for national security after demonstrating absolute loyalty to his late boss, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua.

“Zoning encourages North-South dichotomy and it only rewards the three major ethnic groups at the expense of other ethnic minorities.

“Zoning is retrogressive for Nigeria at 50. What we need now is no longer a sectional leader but a leader who sees the whole of Nigeria as his constituency,” he said.

Also speaking, Plateau PDP Chairman, Prof. Dakum Shown, said the state PDP Chapter had adopted Jonathan since July.

“All delegates from Plateau will vote Jonathan 100 per cent. We are supporting him as our candidate for 2011 because he has brought peace, stability and sanity into PDP,” he said.

Speaker, Plateau House of Assembly, Mr Istifanus Mwansat, who spoke on behalf of the legislators, said they were supporting Jonathan for President “for the continued corporate existence of Nigeria.”

Sen. Gyang Dantong, who spoke on behalf of members of the National Assembly from Plateau, also reaffirmed his colleagues’ support for Jonathan because of his   “wide consultation” before arriving at decisions.

In his speech, Gov. Jonah Jang said the zoning idea stipulated that every zone should be given equal representation in the political affairs of the country.

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Ignatius Longjam, Jang said: “Jonathan’s contest in 2011 will still respect zoning because the Vice President will not remain in the South-South again but will now go to the North,” he said.
Bayelsa politicians,  activists  pressure Jonathan

Meantime, rights activists and politicians in Bayelsa State yesterday rose from an emergency meeting in Yenagoa declaring that the President Goodluck Jonathan has no choice but to accept the calls on him to contest the Presidency in 2011 polls due to his modest achievement as President of the country.

Led by Ebiere Daniels, members of civil right community and politicians based within and outside the country said though the delay by the President to concede to the mounting pressure from the people of the six geo-political zones was necessary to avoid diversion, the President should accept the calls and respect the position of the masses as an endorsement of his achievements in office.

Speaking under the aegis of the “Golden Structure Organisation for Good Leadership,” National Coordinator, Madam Ebiere Daniels, said if the President failed to run as demanded by the teeming masses of the country, it might lead to loss of confidence in the leadership of the country.