2015: Judgment Day On Suit To Stop Jonathan
2015: Judgment Day On Suit To Stop Jonathan
Published on 17 October by pmnews
Nnamdi Felix / Abuja
Ahead of Thursday’s judgment by an Abuja High Court in a suit brought against President Goodluck Jonathan’s speculated second term bid by a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Nigerians have been called to remain calm and law abiding irrespective of which way the judgment goes.
The chieftain, Mr. Cyriacus Njoku made the call ahead of the judgment day.
He had earlier attempted to stop the President from contesting the 2011 Presidential election on the ground that Jonathan’s candidacy violated the zoning principle of the party.
In the instant suit, Mr. Njoku is asking the court to stop President Jonathan contesting the 2015 presidential elections on the grounds that he is already in his second term in office.
The President, in his response to the suit, insisted that he is currently doing his first term of four years in office as the President of the federal Republic of Nigeria as provided by the 1999 constitution.
He also emphasized that he has not indicated or announced anywhere that he would contest the presidential elections in 2015 and equally described the suit as frivolous and vexatious since it failed to disclose reasonable cause of action.
The suit followed a declaration by the President sometime in March, that he is serving his first term in office. A statement that gave rise to his speculated ambition.
Mr Njoku rejected that declaration and insisted that Jonathan is currently running a second term in office and cannot be a candidate in 2015. He also said the President cannot swear to an Oath of Office thrice in the light of Section 137(1) (b) of the 1999 Constitution.
The President equally described the suit as frivolous and vexatious since it failed to disclose reasonable cause of action.
A senior Special Assistant to Jonathan, Mr Mattew Aikhionbare and Dr Reuben Abati, the Presidential Spokesman, in their depositions before the court, posited that President Jonathan is currently doing his first term of 4 years in office as the president of Nigeria as provided by the 1999 constitution as amended and that the President’s status and position is formidably backed by the 1999 constitution.
The Presidential aides argue that the constitution of Nigeria only makes provisions for a president to contest for not more than 2 terms of 4 years each and that their principal has not indicated or announced anywhere whether in words or in writing that he will contest for the presidential elections to be conducted in 2015.
“The Late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua contested and won the presidential elections conducted in 2007 for a one term of four years. He was the president from May 29, 2007 until sometime in May 2010 when he passed on. Yar'Adua’s four years was to end in 2011″ they insisted.
Jonathan further stated that on May 6, 2010 he was sworn in as the president after the demise of the Late President Yar'Adua, thereby completing Yara'Adua's 12 months of the 4 years tenure and insisted that his present administration is the first time he is coming to power as the president of Nigeria through a conducted election wherein he was voted as the presidential candidate of his party, PDP.
Published on 17 October by pmnews
Nnamdi Felix / Abuja
Ahead of Thursday’s judgment by an Abuja High Court in a suit brought against President Goodluck Jonathan’s speculated second term bid by a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Nigerians have been called to remain calm and law abiding irrespective of which way the judgment goes.
The chieftain, Mr. Cyriacus Njoku made the call ahead of the judgment day.
He had earlier attempted to stop the President from contesting the 2011 Presidential election on the ground that Jonathan’s candidacy violated the zoning principle of the party.
In the instant suit, Mr. Njoku is asking the court to stop President Jonathan contesting the 2015 presidential elections on the grounds that he is already in his second term in office.
The President, in his response to the suit, insisted that he is currently doing his first term of four years in office as the President of the federal Republic of Nigeria as provided by the 1999 constitution.
He also emphasized that he has not indicated or announced anywhere that he would contest the presidential elections in 2015 and equally described the suit as frivolous and vexatious since it failed to disclose reasonable cause of action.
The suit followed a declaration by the President sometime in March, that he is serving his first term in office. A statement that gave rise to his speculated ambition.
Mr Njoku rejected that declaration and insisted that Jonathan is currently running a second term in office and cannot be a candidate in 2015. He also said the President cannot swear to an Oath of Office thrice in the light of Section 137(1) (b) of the 1999 Constitution.
The President equally described the suit as frivolous and vexatious since it failed to disclose reasonable cause of action.
A senior Special Assistant to Jonathan, Mr Mattew Aikhionbare and Dr Reuben Abati, the Presidential Spokesman, in their depositions before the court, posited that President Jonathan is currently doing his first term of 4 years in office as the president of Nigeria as provided by the 1999 constitution as amended and that the President’s status and position is formidably backed by the 1999 constitution.
The Presidential aides argue that the constitution of Nigeria only makes provisions for a president to contest for not more than 2 terms of 4 years each and that their principal has not indicated or announced anywhere whether in words or in writing that he will contest for the presidential elections to be conducted in 2015.
“The Late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua contested and won the presidential elections conducted in 2007 for a one term of four years. He was the president from May 29, 2007 until sometime in May 2010 when he passed on. Yar'Adua’s four years was to end in 2011″ they insisted.
Jonathan further stated that on May 6, 2010 he was sworn in as the president after the demise of the Late President Yar'Adua, thereby completing Yara'Adua's 12 months of the 4 years tenure and insisted that his present administration is the first time he is coming to power as the president of Nigeria through a conducted election wherein he was voted as the presidential candidate of his party, PDP.
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