Afenifere Chieftain and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Dayo Adeyeye has said that anyone asking President Goodluck Jonathan not to contest the 2015 presidential election is contravening the laws of the country.
He said, ”since the 1999 Constitution as amended permits election of a person into the office of the President of Nigeria twice and President Jonathan has only been elected once, asking the President not to seek a second term is like saying Nigerians should no longer exercise their constitutional rights.”
Speaking during a meeting with some PDP Leaders in his Ise-Ekiti country home today, the governorship aspirant, who expressed confidence that the gang up against the President and the PDP will fail, noted that; “the PDP faced more difficult situation in 2007 when a sitting Vice President defected to another party and came out stronger.”
“I have read in the papers, a statement credited to Prof Ben Nwabueze, asking the President not to seek a second term and my reaction is, can anyone ask Prof Nwabueze not to perform his constitutional duty as a lawyer?
“Isn’t it unconstitutional for anyone to tell his fellow Nigerian not to exercise his constitutional rights?”
Adeyeye said further;”it is obvious that even when he has not said anything about going for re-election or not, those opposed to President Jonathan’s second term have conceded victory to him.
“It is because they are sure that the President will win that they have decided to opt for the easiest way out by mounting pressure on him not to seek re-election instead of raising their own candidate(s) for the election.”
The governorship aspirant, who commended the President’s transformational strides, said he was particularly happy that Nigerians can now travel by rail and that greater attentions were being given to federal roads in the country.
