A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Joe Igbokwe, has warned that Nigeria’s democracy is on the brick of collapse if necessary steps are not urgently taken.
Igbokwe, addressing a news conference in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, July 16, 2014, also expressed fears that President Goodluck Jonathan’s alleged ambition to contest in the 2015 presidential election may bring an end to the entity called Nigeria.
“Our hard earned democracy is under serious threat and defenders of democracy and rule of law must stand up now,” Igbokwe told newsmen in Lagos.
He added that, “characters that do not know how we got to where we are today must not be allowed to crash this democracy. It seems to me that the harassment of the opposition, Boko Haram insurgency, and impeachment of governors are all geared towards 2015 presidential elections.”
Igbokwe, earlier in his address, noted that, “given the activities of President Goodluck Jonathan and PDP today, it is now obvious that total war has been declared on the opposition and democracy.”
“I saw it coming. After the registration of APC and the defection of some PDP Governors to APC, I warned that there would be intimidation, subterfuge, brigandage, suppression, oppression, repression, force, harassment to fight APC.”
He traced the genesis of Nigeria’s present predicaments to 2009, when former President Yar’Adua died in office, which ushered in President Jonathan, who was then his Vice.
“Former President Obasanjo from the South ruled Nigeria for 8 years. It was also expected that the late President Yar’Adua from the North will rule for 8 years all things being equal. But he died after two years in office.
“President Goodluck Jonathan, the Vice President from the South then took over the mantle of leadership. It was expected that he will complete the first term of Yar’Adua’s tenure and step aside for the North to complete their 8 years. Against protests from the North, President Jonathan sought another term and got elected.
“By 2015 he would have ruled for six years. Seeking another term of four years will endanger our polity and create ethnic and religious tension as we are witnessing now. We are in a democracy and if we are still in one country there is need for equity and justice.
“President Jonathan’s ambition to rule Nigeria for 10 years may break Nigeria.”
Jonathan’s 2015 Ambition May Break Nigeria–Joe Igbokwe http://t.co/j6TERbdfpM
Please be quiet. There is no reason why they should not contest in 2015 along side GEJ. If it’s a democracy like you stated the best man will win. The whole country can’t be held in ransom just because the North feels they didn’t complete their term. They sure ruled the country long enough and achieved nothing.