By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor & Kingsley Omonobi
LAGOS — President Goodluck Jonathan is forging ahead with his proposal for single term tenure for the President and Governors with consultations with ethnic nationality groups scheduled to commence, weekend.

The President’s move, it was learnt, followed supportive gestures from strategic political stakeholders including a number of second term governors who have given positive support for the proposal.

The meeting with ethnic nationality and pro-democracy groups, it was learnt, would precede a large scale comprehensive amendment that would, for the first time, give the ethnic nationality groups an expression into the form and style of government for the country.

The constitution amendment bill, which is still in the works, it was learnt, would then be forwarded to the National Assembly at the end of the talks with all strategic stakeholders.

Among the groups targeted for the meetings flagging off from Lagos this weekend are the Pro-National Conference group (PRONACO), pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere; Citizens Forum for Constitution Reform (CFCR); the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF); the South South Peoples Assembly (SSPA) and the Ohanaeze Ndigbo among others.

Jonathan, it was learnt, would, however, not be personally engaged in the one-on-one talks with the groups as constitutional experts in the Presidency were the ones being deployed to engage the nationality groups on the proposals. He is, however, expected to lead the talks with governors and political party leaders before the final submission of the constitution amendment bill to the National Assembly.

A source privy to the development told Vanguard: “Although the government has an idea of what is to be done, it believes that all views and opinions must be taken into consideration before the final draft is taken to the National Assembly.”

a source privy to the development said.

The presidency it was learnt was forging ahead with the proposals despite wide outcry.

in some sections of the polity following positive feedback from other strategic stakeholders who are supportive. Among the strategic stakeholders giving support to the idea are some second term Governors, it was learnt yesterday.

“The Presidency is being inundated with calls from many governors and legislators, especially those on their second terms. They have no problems with the single tenure issue. National Assembly members also have no problem with that,” the source disclosed yesterday.

“Many of them believe that it will hasten the rotation of power in the states, while some of them have plans to contest for governorship seat. These Nigerians are insisting that there should be no plans to rethink the single term bill.”

“The draftsmen have also been telling Nigerians to forward their own bills to the government or to the National Assembly. There is nothing that stops them from sending in their own bills so that we can arrive at an acceptable law that will meet the aspirations of all Nigerians.”

“Some Nigerians in the Diaspora and constitution experts have forwarded bills to the team, so nothing should stop all categories of Nigerians from sending bills and proposals.”