Posted by By BUCHY ENYINNAYA, Asaba on
National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Ahmadu Ali, Sunday, confirmed that the party was interested in extension of the tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo and governors.
National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Ahmadu Ali, Sunday, confirmed that the party was interested in extension of the tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo and governors.
Speaking in Asaba, Delta State capital, Ali said that the PDP wants the executives at the federal and state levels to continue in office for continuity.
"I don't know about third term. I know about extension of tenure of chief executives, to amend the constitution from the two terms of four years to three terms of four years. That is for continuity of governance, for improvement in the socio-economic quality of life of Nigerians."
Ali, who called on all Nigerians to support the extension of the Obasanjo administration, also said: "I, as an individual, a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on three occasions from 1979, I came to the conclusion that the liquefied natural gas project will never work in Nigeria. Obasanjo came in, in 1999, from the flop he left it in 979, he picked up.
'Now, we are exporting liquefied natural gas as an additional income to the nation. But we are going to produce the largest in the world. Now, for goodness sake, if you can have a government that can do that and all the debts that we and our great grand- children would have been owing the white man had been cancelled under this government, we need more of that good governance for the nation to move forward and for your own benefit as young people."
The PDP boss, however, lambasted journalists whom he said have been campaigning against the third term bid, saying that tenure extension will not have a backlash.
"There is no backlash. It's just some editors in some 10 and 12 papers that are trying to force the nation to accept their views. All the newspaper columnists are writing what they like."
According to him, journalists can go ahead and write whatever they like, adding: "They are not the public and the constitution can only be amended by the National Assembly and that is the constitutional position."
The PDP national chairman spoke at the palace of the Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Highness, Obi (Professor) Chike Edozien, while on a private visit. He was accompanied by the Delta State governor, Chief James Ibori, his Edo State counterpart, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, Senator Francis Nwajei, some politicians and several aides.
The parley among the PDP chairman, Prof Edozien and governors, which lasted more than one hour, is alleged to have centred on wooing the royal father to support the third term bid and settling the rift in the state's chapter of the PDP, among other issues.