”I Never Said I’ll Not Contest Second Term” – President Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan, on Saturday during
an interactive session with Islamic Clerics from South
West region at the State House, Marina, Lagos, said
that he was quoted out of context in the statement
he
made on running only a single term.
"I need to clarifiy this otherwise I do not need to
talk
about it. This matter continues to come up."
According to PMNews, GEJ said those who have
been
playing the tape where it was shown that he had
pledged to run only a single term had not been
sincere.
The President said that what happened was that
late
President Umaru Yar'Adua came out with
political reforms when he, Jonathan was the Vice
president. Jonathan said that he was the chairman
of
the interparty group of the committee set up by
late
Yar'adua to agree on the president's proposal for a
single tenure.
He said the statement he made in Addis Ababa was
within the context of the proposal.
"I made that statement in Addis Ababa, when I
addressed Nigerians. I made that statement after I
had won elections."
He said that he told the audience in Addis that that
recommendation would move the country forward.
"I was advising Nigerians in Addis Ababa and I
made
mention of this issue of seven years of single
tenure
as being the best for the country."
"I now added that if Nigerians will agree to run a
single tenure of seven years I will not contest. That
was the statement I made."
He said that he still believed in that
recommendation
in order to prevent the waste of resources during
re-
election bids of incumbents.
Jonathan said the section of the broadcast which
featured former president Obasanjo took place in
2011 during the PDP presidential primary. He said
that he did not want to join issues with Obasanjo
because the party members were there for
primaries
and "I just wanted to win my primaries".
He reaffirmed his earlier stand that if Nigerians
accept his proposal of a single term of seven years,
he would not re-contest.
"Those who are advertising on television that I said
I
was not going to contest a second tenure should
play
the whole tape."
Jonathan said people were diminishing the office of
the president because of politics.
He further said that even with the past campaign
for
the 2015 polls almost concluded, if Nigerians
would
accept that single tenure of seven years, he would
not bother to contest the election.
He thanked the clerics for giving him the
opportunity
to clarify the statement and urged them to continue
to pray for the unity and prosperity of the country,