Opponents of President Goodluck Jonathan’s yet unannounced bid for another term may have lost a vital weapon of their case.
The one term agreement document the President allegedly signed with the 23 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors is missing.
It was learnt that the agreement was kept with a Southsouth governor, who is now claiming ignorance of where it is kept.
Some governors, especially the aggrieved PDP G-7 governors, have urged the President to stick to the one term pact he allegedly signed in 2011. Dr. Jonathan denies he ever agreed to do just one term.
Leading the agitation for compliance with one term agreement is Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu.
At the peace talks on PDP crisis in the Presidential Villa, the President pointedly accused Aliyu of stoking the fire ravaging the party.
Neither those for Jonathan nor those against him have the one term agreement paper, The Nation has learnt.
It was learnt that when the agreement was signed, most of the governors were not eager to have a copy.
But the paper was allegedly given to a Southsouth governor to keep as a reminder to Jonathan that his zone was in custody of the pact.
It was gathered that since the row over another term broke out, the governor has refused to release the paper.
The governor denies being in custody of the paper.
The said governor is fully behind the second term project with confidence since the pact is in his care.
A top source said: “No doubt, there was an agreement but it was not circulated to all the then 23 PDP governors. But a copy was kept with a Southsouth governor for strategic reasons.
“When the issue came up recently among some PDP governors, no one could produce a copy.
“I think the Presidency was aware of where the pact was kept and that is why it has been confidently denying any pact.”
Responding to a question, the source added: “If the pact cannot be produced and the court does not allow the New PDP to exist, the Kawu Baraje faction of PDP may either team up with the All Progressives Congress or Accord Party as the last option.
“But the G-7 governors and New PDP may form a coalition with the APC to ease out Jonathan in 2015.
“People of like minds are already putting heads together on how to effect change in 2015.”
A Northern governor confirmed last night that the “agreement is with a Southsouth governor”.
The Niger State governor had on Liberty Radio in Kaduna early this year alleged that Jonathan entered into a one-term pact with PDP governors
He said: “I recall that at the time he was going to declare for the 2011 election, all the PDP governors were brought together to ensure that we were all in the same frame of mind.
“And I recall that some of us said given the circumstances of the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua and given the PDP zoning arrangement, it was expected that the North was to produce the President for a given number of years.
“I recall that at that discussion, it was agreed that Jonathan would serve only one term of four years and we all signed the agreement. Even when Jonathan went to Kampala, in Uganda, he also said he was going to serve a single term. “I think we are all gentlemen enough; so when the time comes, we will all come together and see what is the right thing to do.”
The Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, had insisted that there was no time Jonathan entered into a single-term pact.
He said, “Rather than insisting on an agreement that does not exist – since anybody can contest for the highest office in the land, those who are so interested should declare their interest and contest.”
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Source: Nation
