Single term: We stand by 2015 date –Senate

President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid may be hanging in the balance, following the insistence of the Senate Committee on the Amendment of the 1999 Constitution that the single term proposal must begin in 2015.
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, told Saturday PUNCH in an exclusive interview that the date would not be changed because there was no indication that Jonathan was intent on seeking a second term.
He was reacting to comments by the Political Adviser to the President, Ahmed Gulak, who was quoted as saying that the single tenure proposal was targeted at the President and first term governors.
Gulak had in an interview with Sunday PUNCH published on June 9, said, “You can’t short-change some people in the name of amending the constitution. I’m sure there will be some considerations and the proposal will fail.

“The President and some governors were elected under a constitution that allows them to contest two terms of four years each. You can’t change the rule midway.”
Also on Monday, Gulak said the Presidency would support the amendment, if it would take effect in 2019, thus allowing Jonathan to contest the 2015 presidential election.
Gulak, who spoke on a Channels Television programme, said, “The committee’s proposal is that those incumbent governors and the President who are supposed to enjoy a second term will not participate.
“What we are saying is that laws are not amended to target a particular group of people. It could have been okay, if all those first term governors are allowed to participate, and after 2019, anybody coming in will know that he is going to be elected under the amended constitution.”
But, Ekweremadu, who is the chairman of the committee, said the President had not told anybody he would contest the 2015 election.
He added that the proposed amendment could not, therefore, be targeted at him.

PUNCH