20100630
allafrica

Abuja — The shape and texture of the 2011 presidential contest may have begun to crystallize following a meeting yesterday between President Goodluck Jonathan and governors of the South-south geo-political zone.

There were indications from the meeting that the governors may have in principle declared to support Jonathan in the event that he eventually decides to throw his hat into the ring for next year's presidential poll.

In fact, the governors said yesterday at the end of the meeting that they were waiting for the President's declaration of interest.

Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting which held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva said the governors along with a majority of chief executives from other zones, were eagerly awaiting Jonathan's declaration of intention.

Jonathan had earlier said he would wait until the Indepen-dent National Electoral Commission (INEC) releases the time-table for the election before declaring his stand.

Sylva said the President's declaration of intention would presage their support for him, stressing that once Jonathan declared for the race, the governors and a majority of Nigerians would support him in his quest for the presidency in the 2011 election.

Responding to the question as to whether the South-south governors would support Jonathan for 2011, Sylva said: "I have said so many times that I will be supporting the President if he comes out to contest in 2011 and I can assure you that a lot of governors, not just South-south, and a lot of people in Nigeria are ready to support him.

"But you know you can't jump the gun. He must also come out and let the country know if he will run or not before you will hear more from everyone; but, I can assure you that the country, to me, looks very ready for a Jonathan presidency in 2011."

But giving an insight into the real agenda of the meeting, Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio said it centred on the harmonisation of the Public Procurement Act with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Act in order to ensure that due process is strictly followed in the area of project execution.

Meanwhile, former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, has, however, said the 2011 presidential election is not a do-or-die contest between him and President Jonathan.

Babangida was apparently reacting to a statement by a pro-Goodluck Jonathan Support Group, which had asked him to emphasise less on zoning in the forthcoming presidential election, "as what is needed at the moment in Nigeria is not a zonal president but a president with national appeal."

Babangida's Media Spokesman, Prince Kassim Afegbua, in a statement, quoted the former head of state to have said: "The Goodluck Support Group should be reminded that this is not a do-or-die contest between General Ibrahim Babangida and President Goodluck Jonathan. No, it is far from that. General IBB is too decent to play dirty politics. His involvement is about the country and its political stability in order to foster unity and provoke development across the land."

Afegbua said the former president had no regrets attending such a meeting which was aimed at ensuring that there is political stability in the country, and the fact that the Northern zones of the country are essential components of the union, makes the urge more compelling.

On the reference to late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, he said they were recorded in history as regional leaders who helped to foster unity in the country.

Babangida said democracy is all about making choices in a plural society like Nigeria, adding, "zoning of political positions is a dominant feature of any plural society and given Nigeria's plural status, the concept of zoning has its own stabilizing factor amongst a plethora of other contending issues in the polity."

Accordingly, Babangida said: "Against this background therefore, it will be wrong for anyone to misinterpret a well-intended idea which was meant to fashion a way out of the political quagmire, as a 'gang-up' against President Goodluck Jonathan.

"For the umpteenth time, it should be understood that the concepts of power sharing, power distribution and power negotiation are essential ingredients that cannot be jettisoned in any plural society.

"In fact, scholars and political scientists are agreed that deeply divided societies and ethnic pluralities pose a threat to democracy if power sharing principles are not applied in the mediation process. Those who see zoning as a factor of socio-political stability in a deeply divided society such as ours are only conversant with this age-long feasible solution process."

According to the statement, "Former President General Ibrahim Babangida enjoys very robust and healthy relationship with President Goodluck Jonathan but those political jobbers and opportunists for want of job to do may be saying the opposite just to make a political meaning out of every situation."

The former military president said Nigeria and Nigerians should be more concerned about the political manifestoes of the aspirants instead of name-calling on account of one's support for zoning or lack of it.

It said amongst Babangida's critics, no one had questioned the utility value of his campaign issues; true federalism, creation of state police, resource control by states, security, devolution of political power, decentralization of power generation and several others.

"We should dwell more on these issues and see how effective they are to address a number of the challenges facing us than this recourse to discussing politics as a personality contest between two great citizens of this country," he said.