By Ben Agande & Gbenga Akinwunmi
ABUJA—ORGANISERS of the northern political summit under the aegis of G20 (19 northern  states and Abuja), yesterday, warned that the country risked a deeper crisis if the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, prevented Dr. Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the presidency in the 2011 elections on the grounds of zoning.

Chairman of the group and former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, said at a news briefing, that the country must not allow other considerations to exclude Dr. Jonathan from contesting 2011 presidential elections.

Gana said the northern political summit was of the opinion that “the subsisting zoning that produced the presidency of Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan must be regarded as an inseparable ticket and the demise of one member of ticket does not invalidate the privileges of the remaining beneficiary.”

He said in adopting this strategy, “the North would have, once more, provided a pragmatic solution to a fundamental cause of crisis in the Niger Delta, arising from years of neglect,” adding: “Since by divine providence a son of the Niger Delta has become President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, any attempt to use zoning to hinder the fulfillment of a perceived God given opportunity to lead Nigeria would only lead the nation into deeper crisis. We must not allow other considerations to trivialize this threat to national security and stability.”

Gana who was flanked by the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Engr. Abba Gana; Senator Isa Maina, former Minister of Environment, Col. Bala Mande, Minister of State for Interior, Humphrey Abba as well as other prominent northern political leaders, said that zoning  was adopted “primarily as a strategy for resolving a national crisis arising from the annulment of the June 12 presidential elections.”

Prevailing national exigencies

He said: “Now that another challenge has arisen following the sad death of our former President, wisdom demands that fresh options be assessed and considered on the basis of prevailing national exigencies.”

While reiterating the position adopted by the Northern Political Leaders Summit in Kaduna, Gana said it was the opinion of the leaders that “a logical application of the zoning formula lacks both the profundity and efficacy to resolve the complex problems created by the death of our former President and, therefore, resolved to appeal to the PDP leadership to allow the superior provisions of the Nigerian Constitution to guide the party in producing the guidelines and regulations for the conduct of party primaries to elect its presidential candidate.”

He added: “In the circumstances, the summit recommends that the most viable option is to ensure the conduct of free, fair and credible primaries, so as to allow the emergence of the very best candidate for the office of the President.”

The former Minister of Information noted that even in the struggle for political power in the country, “the people of the Niger Delta have always stood by the North when it mattered most. It is on record that they supported the Northern Peoples Congress to form the Federal Government during the First Republic.

It is also on record that the cooperation they gave the NPN gave the party victory in 1979. At an even deeper level, when the unity of the country was most threatened, the people of the Niger Delta stood for national unity.

“Moreover, it is an open secret that the Niger Delta has been the treasure bed of the nation, contributing 90 per cent of the nation’s foreign exchange revenue. Yet they have never, in the 50 years of Nigeria’s history as an independent nation, had the opportunity of presiding over its affairs. Now that by divine providence power has shifted to that zone, wisdom counsels that we accept the will of God.”

Obasanjo denies  meeting  govs  over zoning

Meantime, contrary to reports that former President Olusegun Obasanjo held meeting with some governors in the South West on Saturday, where zoning of the PDP’s presidential seat was discussed, Obasanjo yesterday denied the allegation, saying: “I did not meet with any governor or governors on Saturday either in Abeokuta or any other place in Nigeria.”

Obasanjo, who spoke through his Media Adviser, Mr. Adeoba Ojekunle, said that no meeting was held with any group of governors on Saturday, especially where the mass media, not Vanguard, reported that the former President warned some governors against supporting former

Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).
It was said that Obasanjo and some leaders in the region had warned some governors, who were said to be nursing a secret support for the former military dictator to withdraw such support as a result of his alleged role in the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election.

Obasanjo said: “I have said it severally that any time the PDP in the South West wants to take a stand on the issue, the leaders will sit down and do so. It is not going to be done in secret.

Issue of zoning in PDP

When we meet on the issue of zoning of the presidency in the PDP in the South West, the  National Vice Chairman in the zone will make such stand known appropriately. This is not Obasanjo affair; so, it is not true that I held any meeting with anybody or governors on the issue of zoning in the PDP.”

Ojekunle said the former President only had peace meetings with two PDP governors in the South West who were currently at loggerhead, adding: “On Saturday, Baba (Obasanjo) was around in Abeokuta but no governor came to the Hill top that day. There was even no meeting with any group of people. On Sunday, we were at UI (University of Ibadan) for the wedding of one of our people (staff) here; and he did not hold a meeting with any group of governors there because we came back that day.”

The media aide said the clarification had become necessary to douse the misunderstanding such report might generate in the party, stressing: “It is essential for people to understand that Baba is a leader in the party but he has others with whom he has to work. What some people think is that he can just say anything to the President (Goodluck Jonathan) and the President will just take it. Don’t people know the President has a mind of his own? He is an adult and the President of the country.”