Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of Kano has warned that President Goodluck Jonathan is not constitutionally qualified to contest for the presidency in 2015, saying it amounted to a third term in office.
According to the governor, any attempt by Jonathan to seek re-election in 2015 will be resisted by Nigerians.
Kwankwaso, who was speaking to journalists in Abuja, yesterday, advised the president to take urgent steps to bring an end to the nagging issue of insecurity challenges in the North-East region and stabilise the Nigerian economy before bowing out from office in 2015, adding that by next year, he (Jonathan) would have attained the eight-year maximum limit stipulated by the Nigerian Constitution.
The governor argued that contrary to the president’s argument that his tenure commenced in 2011, the true position remains that he actually started serving as Nigeria’s President in 2007 and would have completed his eight years in 2015.
The governor said: “Jonathan is not qualified to contest election again in 2015 going by the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution. Third term is not acceptable to any part of Nigeria and the time limit stipulated must be respected by all Nigerians.
“I am sure Nigerians will kick against a third term whether by Jonathan or by any other person in this country.
“Mr. President would have completed his eight years in office by 2015. He served as Vice President for two years, Acting President for two years and is doing another four years, which will terminate in 2015.
“But those advising the President are pretending that his tenure started in 2011. I saw them on television the other day trying to argue in that direction, but they can never be correct. I am not a lawyer, but I know that two plus four plus six can never be eight”, Kwankwaso stressed.
