Date Published: 10/20/10

Adamu Ciroma Again! Says North will scuttle Jonathan's ambition

Adamu Ciroma

Former Finance Minister, Adamu Ciroma, who is also the leader of the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF), has said the North will use every legal and democratic means to scuttle the ambition of the incumbent to put aside the zoning at the expense of the North.

Speaking in an interview with the Hausa service of Voice of America (VOA), Malam  Ciroma said Jonathan’s ambition is dishonourable because he is pursuing it at the expense of the North, which was entitled to eight years under the zoning agreement for power sharing between the North and the South.
Ciroma particularly blamed former President Olusegun Obasanjo for the current political polarization in the country.

He alleged that Jonathan’s insistence to run was at the instigation of General Obasanjo, arguing that it was unfair to deny the North the right to complete its own turn of eight years after the South did its own under Obasanjo.
The former finance minister, berated Obasanjo for pushing Jonathan to run, despite the obvious consequencies of creating political bitterness and division, which the abandonment of zoning could produce.

He said, he personally met Obasanjo to protest his role in urging Jonathan to run and reminded him that the peace and unity he fought for in the Nigerian civil war were now being threatened by the decision to unilaterally abandon zoning.

He, however, admitted that since Obasanjo did not want to see reason, the North was not leaving things to chance.

He said even if President Jonathan manipulates the party primaries and eventually emerges as PDP presidential candidate in 2011, the North would deploy other options, including a consensus candidate to command popular support.

Ciroma warned that Jonathan could face a mass protest votes from the electorate who may feel short-changed by the current scheme to abandon zoning. According to the leaders of the (NPLF), the electorate would ultimately decide between a candidate of honour and one that elevates and pursues dishonour.