President Jonathan being decorated with Nigeria's highest honour, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, GCFR, by ex-President Shehu Shagari at Aso Rock Villa, yesterday. With them is ex-Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (centre).

By Emeka Mamah
KADUNA—THE Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, yesterday, gave reasons why the North would not support President Goodluck Jonathan’s bid to contest the 2011 elections, even as it said that it was solidly behind President Jonathan’s administration because “it is a product of fate and constitutionality.”

The ACF position, however, came against the backdrop of support for Jonathan to vie for the 2011 Presidency by the former acting National Chairman of the Progressive Peoples’ Alliance, PPA, Comrade Adamu Song, who said the ACF was not speaking for his own part of the North in Adamawa State.

Song also criticised Senator Kanti Bello, a PDP member from Katsina State and another chieftain of the All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP, from Kano State, Alhaji Abdurrahaman Dan_Mallam, Danmadami Daura, on the issue.

He said ACF and other notable northerners such as Senator Kanti Bello who accused Jonathan of betraying late President Umaru Yar’Adua had no mandate of northerners to speak for them on the matter.

He said the only thing that could stop Jonathan from contesting was non-performance within the few months he had before the said election.

Raging controversy

The National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Mr. Anthony Sani, made the organization’s position known on the raging controversy of whether the North would support President Jonathan to run or not, just as  Song spoke in a separate interview on the matter.

Sani said: “When you ask whether ACF and thus the North will go against President Goodluck Jonathan should he decide to run in 2011, you at once personalize the whole issue. To be sure, ACF is yet to receive any reports on this matter from its committee on political affairs.

“However, it is necessary to point out that ACF is in full support of Goodluck’s government because, it is a product of both fate and constitutionality.

President Jonathan decorated with Nigeria's highest honour, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, GCFR.

“We pray the government succeeds in delivering on the promise of democracy. But, when it comes to the politics of rotation, ACF must consider the fact of history that the South has had eight years and overriding need to preserve gentleman agreements in our mechanism of community living often manifested in social contracts among individuals and groups.

“The point being made is that a person who takes advantage of his vantage position to vitiate an agreement by his own party is most unlikely going to deliver on the promises of his own campaigns.

“What is more, it is morally preposterous for ACF to go against zoning at a time it is the turn of the North, especially when regard is paid to the fact that there are qualified candidates in the North, who can provide national leadership by way of order and direction.”

But accusing some ACF members of being mere “paper tigers”, Comrade Song challenged Senator Kanti Bello and the group among others to produce evidence that President Goodluck Jonathan betrayed late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua or keep quiet on the matter for ever.

Betrayal of Yar’Adua

He argued that some northerners as Senator Bello were being sentimental on the issue of Jonathan being sworn in as President on the death of the former President adding however, that they were speaking for themselves and not for the entire North.

Song said rather than accuse Jonathan of betraying Yar’Adua, it was the former First Lady, Turai, and members of Yar’Adua’s kitchen cabinet that betrayed President Jonathan, as former Vice President.

He said: “How did Jonathan betray Yar’Adua? Is Jonathan God that prescribed death for the former President? Yar’Adua’s death was not caused by anybody; it was natural.

“It was Turai and members of Yar’Adua political family that actually betrayed Jonathan by taking his former boss to Saudi Arabia without informing him as the then Vice President, although they were there on a joint ticket.

“People like Kanti Bello cannot speak for the North. He cannot even speak for his tiny community in Katsina State. The senator is representing a very minute fraction of the North in the National Assembly and he should not arrogate to himself the power to speak for the entire North.

“The issue of zoning of political offices by the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, was a political exigency which is unconstitutional. Zoning of the Presidency trivializes the highest political office in the land.

“Jonathan is the master of his own fate in this matter, because Nigerians will support him if he performs well between now and next year. It is not whether he is a northerner or a southerner. It is also not the problem of tribe or religion but performance.

“In fact, if Jonathan does well, he will defeat or floor General Ibrahim Babangida who is a very formidable political opponent to him now in any election. Jonathan should not listen to people like Kanti Bello or some members of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, because they are paper tigers; they have no political bases of their own.

“Most of them have not visited their communities in several years. They come and settle in Kaduna and without contact with their home states, stay here to dish out useless press statements about the North.”