APC Reps Want Court To Determine Jonathan’s Eligibility For Re-election

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines Sunday, October 26th, 2014

Ayodele Afolabi, Abuja

The All Progressive Congress (APC) members in the House of Representatives said they would challenge in court the eligibility of President Goodluck Jonathan to stand for re-election in 2015.

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan

A member of the APC caucus in the House, Nasiru Sule Garo, representing Gwarzo/Ikabo Federal Constituency of Kano State who disclosed this said that the group is working to ensure that the president is prevented from re-contesting.

According to him, “People are ready to go to court, we are just waiting for him to declare. For now, he is not a candidate, he is just being endorsed just like during Abacha’s regime, when selfish individuals were just coming out to say that Abacha was the sole candidate of every other party.”

He noted that the fresh agitation to contest Jonathan’s eligibility was hinged on the Supreme Court ruling on former Adamawa State Governor Boni Haruna, which quashed his re-election bid after completing the tenure of his predecessor and another four years.

“By the Constitution of Nigeria, I don’t think the President (Jonathan) has any right for now to contest. He has been sworn in twice and our constitution says that a person shall occupy office of the president for two terms of four years which makes it eight years and this president has occupied this position for two years and he contested election and he is occupying for four years which makes it six”, he added.

“And if he seeks re-election now, it means he is going to be sworn-in for the third term, that one too can be contested and is he going to serve for two years and then we do another election or is he going to violate the constitution and serve for four years, which would make him the president of Nigeria for 10 years.

“So there are a lot of questions that need to be clarified by the court before he even contest for that position.”

According to the lawmaker, President Jonathan’s re-election bid can be likened to the case of former Adamawa state Governor, Boni Haruna, that was stopped by the Court from seeking re-election after completing Atiku Abubakar’s tenure.

“If that is the case, remember the case of Boni Haruna. He was not elected as the Governor of Adamawa state. He was the Deputy of Atiku Abubakar and they were elected just like Jonathan was elected with Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and he was sworn in and served the four years.

“Boni Haruna now came out and contested in Adamawa and won election and it was the same court he went to contest and the court says that he could not contest election because he has already served for two terms which means two interpretations on the same judgement. So that can still be contested.”