Governor Kwankwaso Says Jonathan Is Not Qualified To Contest In 2015

By Soni Daniel

The Kano State Governor, Dr. Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso has said that President Goodluck Jonathan is not qualified to contest for presidency in 2015.

Kwankwaso said any attempt by Jonathan to run in the next poll will amount to a third term in office, which is not acceptable to most Nigerians.

Kwankwaso, who spoke to journalists in Abuja, yesterday, advised President Jonathan to take urgent steps to solve the raging insecurity challenges in the North-East and stabilise the Nigerian economy and take a bow from governance in 2015, when he would have attained the eight-year maximum limit stipulated by the Nigerian Constitution.

The governor argued that contrary to the President’s position that his tenure started in 2011, the true position remains that he actually started serving as Nigeria’s President in 2007 and would have completed his eight years in 2015.

Describing any third term bid as a taboo, Kwankwaso pointed out that Jonathan and those urging him to run in 2015 could never justify such a move, which runs contrary to the clear provisions of the law.

The governor said: “Jonathan is not qualified to contest election again in 2015 going by the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution. Third term is not acceptable to any part of Nigeria and the time limit stipulated must be respected by all Nigerians.

“I am sure Nigerians will kick against a third term whether by Jonathan or by any other person in this country.

Mr. President would have completed his eight years in office by 2015. He served as Vice President for two years, Acting President for two years and is doing another four years, which will terminate in 2015.

“But those advising the President are pretending that his tenure started in 2011. I saw them on television the other day trying to argue in that direction, but they can never be correct. I am not a lawyer, but I know that two plus four plus six can never be eight.