Former Governor of Benue State, Senator Gabriel Suswam asserted that upon assuming the presidency, former President Jonathan faced tensions from some in the Northern region who perceived their power share as threatened.
He emphasized that although there was an understanding to let President Jonathan finish the remainder of late President Yar’adua’s term, there were expectations for the presidency to revert to the North thereafter. Suswam elaborated that conflicts emerged when Jonathan expressed his desire to run for the presidency beyond Yar’adua’s term, leading to internal discord within the party and the nation, as many Northerners viewed Jonathan’s ambitions as a departure from the previously agreed-upon power-sharing pact.
( Photo credit : Arise Television Official Facebook Page )
Speaking in an interview with Arise TV, Suswam remarked, “After Obasanjo, that was where the problem started. Obasanjo handed over the Presidency of this country to a gentleman who was a man of solid character. Unfortunately, he was sick and he died. When Jonathan took over, the North began to agitate that he was eating into what was theirs. Yar’adua was expected to spend 8 years but he spent about two years and died.
There was this strong agitation within the Northern region that we need to get this back. In spite of that, they agreed that let Jonathan go ahead and complete the tenure of Yar’adua. And the expectation was that after that it would come back to the North. Now, that was where the problem started. When Jonathan insisted on contesting outside the tenure of Yar’adua, we began to have internal conflict and people started working against the party. If you have completed the tenure of Yar’adua as a Southerner, this Presidency must come back to the North. Why is he saying that he will contest?.”
Click on the link below and watch the video starting from 10:23 minute mark
Leave a Reply