By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN—FORMER Director General of the Centre for Democratic Studies, CDS, Prof. Omo Omoruyi, yesterday, backed the presidential ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan and urged his former boss, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, to jettison the zoning issue, which he described as nonsensical.

According to him, “I have shared this view with some well meaning Nigerians in the past about the minority becoming President irrespective of our geographical origin. I had that discussion with people like late Adaka Boro, Saro Wiwa, Lt General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), Solomon Lar, Paul Unongo, among others and even General Babangida, when he addressed members of the Constituent Assembly in 1989, he recognised states as units of representation in the federation.

“So I was surprised when he joined in this zoning thing” he said. Prof. Omoruyi, who spoke to newsmen on arrangements for the launch of his book, on his three years battle with cancer, said  because all he discussed in the past with other leaders became fruitful with the emergence of Jonathan, “therefore, this was the time to support Jonathan.”

“I am writing a book. I want to publish the account of my battle with cancer for three years and my journey back to life. I want in the new year to associate myself with the political ambition of Goodluck Jonathan, which means I am endorsing him. I will work to ensure that Goolduck Jonathan becomes the president of Nigeria in 2011 election. I came to that based on my background,” he said.

He disclosed that what brought himself and Gen. Babangida together was IBB’s belief in the states being the units of the federation, “so I was surprised to see him joining other people to talk about zoning. On two occasions when I managed him leading to 1993 and 2006, he genuinely, I believe him subscribed to the idea of states as the unit of representation.”

“I don’t know how he came about this whole issue of the north. After he lost to the “zonists”, the honourable thing for him to have done is to step aside, endorse Jonathan because Atiku is not going to win” he asserted.

He said Jonathan represents the minority groups across the country that have been dominated by the three major ethnic groups, predicting that with the way the PDP is losing grip of the country, the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) could win the presidency by 2015.