Odua Peoples Congress and the Ijaw National Congress have declared their support for President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the general election in 2015. The two groups said Jonathan deserves a second herm.
Leaders of the two groups, Dr. Frederick Faseun of the OPC and Comrade James Evah of the INC, on Thursday openly declared support for Jonathan for a second term.
Speaking in Lagos State at the Okota headquarters of the OPC, the leaders of the two regional bodies, said anyone against Jonathan running for a second term was acting contrary to the constitution of the country.
The two leaders spoke when Evah visited Fasehun in commemoration of the birthday of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Faseun said: “The constitution says that a president can spend two tenures.
It’s a constitutional arrangement. I won’t be part of the group that will flout the constitution of this country. Everybody has a right to contest after Jonathan’s term. Jonathan has only spent half of his term. If he has spent his full time, which is a second term, then anybody can come in.
“We don’t want to deny Jonathan his second term. Our words to the Yoruba and Ijaw people, is together we stand, because unity is in force and if we fail to stand together, we’ll fall. Our meeting shall succeed.”
Faseun equally criticized the lopsided distribution of oil blocks in favor of Northerners.
He said: “I wonder then how much of the oil blocks is left to the owners of the oil. I believe in fairness, which is why rather than speak against the Niger Delta militants, I went to the creeks to see things for myself and then I agreed with their struggle. But I told them to stop soiling their land in their struggle or else they’ll destroy everything. I think that for peace to reign in Nigeria, there must be justice all over. When there’s justice, there’ll be growth.”
Evah said that the Ijaws believe in honouring Nigerians who have done well, hence the decision to commemorate the birthday of Chief Awolowo. He equally commended the Yoruba race for being one that believes in equity, fairness and justice.
He said: “If not because of the South West, Jonathan would not be president. He wouldn’t even be a vice president. We prayed then that God should give Jonathan the economic wisdom of Awolowo to use in ruling Nigeria. Niger Delta celebrates Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s birthday.
“It was Awolowo who first prophesied that it won’t be long before someone from the Niger Delta region will become the president of Nigeria.”
Source: Pointblank News