Date Published: 05/03/10

Dear Editor,

Jonathan on CNN with Amanpour

In Jonathan’s CNN interviews with Amanpour, he was not forthcoming on whether he would contest for the 2011 President. One expected ‘yes’ or ‘no’ from him.

On INEC, he could be faulted on his statement that Anambra 2010 governorship election was a success and therefore, model.  The fact that Anambra has about two-million eligible voters; out of which only about three-hundred were allowed to cast their votes was a serious deficiency. Furthermore contributing to the peaceful exercise was the intimidating presence of security agents who were drafted from other parts of the country for the ‘lone’ election. As a result, no window was provided for the disenfranchised registered voters to vent their anger for fear of their lives. This situation will not exist for 2011 elections because security agents would be in short supply as every part of the country would be voting at the same time. Now that Iwu has been asked to go on retirement leave, my suggestion to the acting President is that someone possibly from South-West, like Professor Akinyemi or Professor Adedeji or any presently positioned person (from the south-west within the INEC) should be asked to head the place; reasoning that no one from that region would be favoured to contest for the 2011 Presidency, Obasanjo having consumed their turn till long time to come.

Regarding Jonathan’s claimed inability to talk or see Yar’Adua since the latter left the shores of the country in November 2009 (and till date) suffices to say that the acting President told lies to Nigerians when he claimed that Yar’Adua spoke with him, David Mark and Dimeji Bankole on a weekend earlier in 2010. 

I support the views expressed by those who have published in the media that Jonathan may not be trusted again and that he needs to appoint those Special Advisers that the National Assembly had approved for him. He needs the full compliments of aides since he has no acting Vice-President. He should not look for alibi in failures.

Alhaji Garba Salem,

298 Apapa Road,

 Ijora-Lagos