'JONATHAN MUST NOT CONTEST 2015 ELECTIONS FOR PEACE TO REIGN' - NORTHERN ELDERS

The Northern Elders Forum has said that only a declaration by
President Goodluck Jonathan stating that he will not contest the 2015
elections can douse the political tensions in the country.
The Deputy Chairman of NEF, Dr. Paul Unongo speaking to Punch said
President Jonathan must abide by the single term pact he made with
chieftains of the PDP during his 2011 campaign.
Unongo stated that the resignation of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur was a
welcome development but was not wholly capable of redeeming the PDP
from the crisis plaguing the Party.
He said, "I think if the PDP had done this (forced Tukur to resign) a
long time ago, it would have perhaps stemmed the avalanche (of crises)
that happened. Tukur represented the ugliest face of the PDP. He was
insensitive; he was not caring; he was brutal.
"He already decided that Mr. Jonathan must be the presidential
candidate of the PDP in 2015 and anybody who didn't like that should
go to hell. It is wonderful that after a long time, the PDP realised
what some of us told them. We had told them that you don't take
Nigerians for granted, thinking you can do whatever you want.
"I hope that for the sake of the PDP, now that they have finished with
the issue of Tukur, they will deal with the issue of Mr. President by
deciding that he should not stand for election, so that the gentleman
agreement between the North and the South will prevail. The one-term
has been the main cause of the crisis in the PDP."
Commenting further on the crisis rocking the PDP, he said the factions
consisted of those who advised President Jonathan to run for elections
in 2015 and those who were against it.
"It's been between the people, who have been insisting on the
President respecting the one-term pact and those who have been using
him, and are telling him to go ahead and stand for election; that
nothing will happen.
"You have young governors telling him, 'nothing will happen; the
Middle-Belt is with you'. The only thing that can save PDP now is for
Mr. President to state categorically that he will not contest election
in 2015. Otherwise the defections will continue and the PDP will lose
the election if it fields Jonathan," he said.