President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed
regrets at his inability to have a South West
politician as Speaker of the House of
Representatives in 2011.
Speaking on Friday at the Yoruba Unity
Summit themed: ‘National Development:
Wither the Yoruba,’at the Obafemi Awolowo
University, Ile-Ife, Mr. Jonathan attributed his
fÀailure to the selfishness of some Yoruba
leaders.
In 2011, Aminu Tambuwal, who is from the
Northwest, had defeated Mulikat Akande, a
Yoruba from the South West, to emerge the
House Speaker.
President Jonathan said he is still suffering
from that decision by the Lower House.
“One of the problems I faced in the National
Assembly is that I felt the right thing should
be done because our party, the PDP, has a
formula,” said Mr. Jonathan, who was the
special guest of honour at the event.
“We have six geo-political zones in the
country and when the President emerges from
one of the geo-political zones, the Vice-
President emerges from another geo-political
zone, the rest core offices, the Senate
President, the Speaker, Secretary to Federal
Government, the chairman of the party must
come from different geo-political zones.
“The idea is that, whenever we are
distributing board positions and some of these
appointments, whenever we are appointing
ministers, all these people sit to take
decisions. In that case we want all the geo-
political zones to be in the inner caucus that
take critical decisions.
“The last time, it was difficult for me because
I insisted that the Southwest must get the
Speaker. Of course, I couldn’t go through with
it because some of us within the Southwest
didn’t want it, based on some personal
reasons. I am still suffering from that till
today.”
President Jonathan said that this time around,
the party would work collectively to ensure
that the South West gets whatever is zoned to
them.
“People should not rob it from us.”
Mr. Jonathan said that the South-West play a
huge role in Nigeria’s economy, noting that
Lagos and Ogun States alone control 55
percent of the economy.
He added that the contribution of the two
states is a reason he is committed to providing
them with infrastructure such as electricity to
help boost the economy.
“With unity, we can go to the moon. The
Yoruba will not be left behind,” he added.
The President also said that there are some
recommendations from the just-concluded
national conference he would not implement
immediately to avoid desperate politicians
who are “even ready to kill” from giving it a
partisan colouration.
In his speech, Ayo Fayose, the Ekiti State
governor, advised Mr. Jonathan to always
ignore the criticisms of former President
Olusegun Obasanjo, adding that the retired
Army General will never support his re-
election bid.
“You know it more than you know me. He
will never want a man with an independent
mind. Mr. President, you have refused to
tread the path of unconstitutionality,”
Mr.
Fayose said.
“You have refused to level Borno and other
states like he levelled Odi. You have taken
your time to respect human lives by not
committing crimes against humanity. He
won’t like that.
“And, Your Excellency, the more you try to
curry (favour of) Obasanjo, the more he will
continue to despise you.
“If you continue to curry him, we are not
going to curry him. He doesn’t like people
that give him respect. I plead with Your
Excellency. Your second term has been
concluded in heaven. Fear not.”
The Ekiti governor challenged Mr. Obasanjo to
explain the N50 million shared during the
third term agenda, adding that he lacked the
moral authority to speak against corruption.
“I earned less than N300, 000 as governor of
Ekiti State during my first coming.
Your
Excellency, the donation of N10 million to
Obasanjo Library, what do you call that? That
is corruption,” Mr. Fayose said.
“Go and look for the Code of Conduct, the
forms filled by President Obasanjo and his
wealth today. We knew when he came back
from prison. We knew the situation, we knew
his wealth when he came out.
“If you don’t speak each time Obasanjo speaks
in the papers, we must reply him. When
people talk and we are addressing you here,
that is not the issue. If he talks again, we will
give him an answer.
“You are not supposed to reply him. You are a
complete gentlemen. Decorum is part of
business. We are telling you again, the
moment he says the next one, we will engage
him. This is not a country where after serving
your own tenure, what you cannot take, you
are giving it to others.”
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