Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, yesterday, concurred with his Niger State counterpart, Muazu Aliyu Babangida, that President Goodluck Jonathan actually signed an agreement with them to serve for a single term of four years.
The governor, in an interview with Vanguard, said that the attempt by Jonathan to jettison the agreement he entered into with the northern political leaders, was responsible for the current political feud that led to the defection of some governors from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Nyako maintained that contrary to the claims by Jonathan’s aides that he did not enter into such a deal with the governors, Jonathan sealed the deal with them and pledged to abide by it.
Nyako pointed out that although he had his initial fears that Jonathan would not stand by the agreement after winning the 2011 election, former President Obasanjo pleaded with them to sign the agreement and back Jonathan in the presidential election, which he eventually won.
The governor also said that the document, which was with the Niger State governor, as the Chairman of the Northern State Governors Forum, would be produced at the appropriate time to shame those still denying of its existence.
Nyako asked Jonathan to be a man of honour by respecting the agreement, so that Nigerians can continue to respect and stand by him.
Nyako said “We had an agreement with Jonathan for him to run only in 2011. Obasanjo assured us that Jonathan would only run for a term. The agreement is with the Niger State governor and he can produce it.
“Jonathan should be a man of honour and stick to the agreement he signed with the northern governors. This country needs leaders, who are honest, so that they can be trusted and respected,”he said.
According to him, Jonathan was number 73 on the list of those who signed the agreement and he cannot now turn round to deny what he validly endorsed.
“We all agreed based on the plea made to us by Obasanjo that the 2007 and 2011 presidency belonged to the North. Jonathan was number 73 as the deputy governor of Bayelsa State.
“So when they came and asked me to sign that he (Jonathan) had agreed that he would not contest the 2011 presidential election and I objected to it because he did not give his pledge to the agreement signed in 2003. They persisted and I signed.
“After that, the Niger State governor took the paper to Jonathan and he signed. Obasanjo can confirm that he came here with Jonathan and pleaded with me to support Jonathan to contest the 2011 Presidential election.”
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