- Northern elders under the aegis of NEF and ACF have reacted to ex-President Jonathan’s claim that they worked against his re-election in 2015
- They admitted working against the former president and the then ruling party, PDP
- The northern elders said they worked against Jonathan because he and his party jettisoned the power zoning policy
The Arewa Consultative Forum and the Northern Elders’ Forum on Wednesday, November 21, defended their opposition to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan when he contested the 2011 and the 2015 presidential elections.
The groups, in separate interviews with The Punch, said that they had no regrets for their position in the two elections.
The spokesman for NEF, Professor Ango Abdullahi, said that the north worked against the former president because he (Jonathan) and his party jettisoned the power shift (zoning) policy.
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He said the forum never hid the reason for working against Jonathan, as according to him, “We told him (Jonathan) why we worked against him,” he stated.
He said that the northern elders expected Jonathan to respect the zoning formula shortly after the death of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua but Jonathan and his party failed to keep the promise.
The former vice-chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University stated: “Yes, it is true that Northern Elders’ Forum worked against Jonathan and we told him why.
“They themselves (PDP) admitted that they made a mistake in reneging on the power shift and why what happened happened.”
On its part, the ACF adduced the same reason for working against the former president and his party, saying Jonathan contested in 2011 and 2015 against the arrangement of his party that zoned the presidency to the north.
The national publicity secretary of the ACF, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim-Biu, said that the former president’s assertion that the north worked against him was odd, considering the “circumstances at that time.”
He admonished Nigerian leaders to always honour agreements they entered into.
“It is on record that Jonathan contested the 2011 and 2015 polls against the zoning arrangement of his party that zoned the presidential slot to the north.
“Therefore, his assertions that Northern leaders and socio-political groups in the north worked against his presidency is rather odd, considering the circumstances at that time.
“Yet the ruling party secured 25% in most states of the north. It may interest you to know that his party has since admitted the oversight in the party winning game plan.
“This clearly means that leaders should always honour their words with deeds if they want to earn the respect of their followers,” the ACF spokesman said.
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Legit.ng had earlier reported that the former president, in his new book, ‘My Transition Hour’ said that opposition from Northern leaders and other factors caused his defeat to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
Jonathan added that the northern leaders had tried to deny him his constitutional right of contesting the 2010 presidential election after the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2010.
According to him, despite the threats and opposition, he was able to win the 2011 election.
Obasanjo and Jonathan are good | Legit TV
Source: Legit.ng
