Jonathan’s free to contest 2015 poll – Okoko

By Samuel Oyadongha

Yenagoa—Prof Kimse Okoko, President of Conference of Ethnic Nationalities of Niger Delta, CENND and former President of Ijaw National Congress, INC, has described as “unnecessary distraction” the call on President Goodluck Jonathan not to run for the 2015 general elections.

He insisted that the President was at liberty to run for a second term as enshrined in the 1999 constitution if he so desires.

He said: “As far as I know, the call is amazing. What is the basis for anybody to say President Jonathan should not run for the Presidency come 2015? The constitution allows him to do so and if he decides to run, why should anybody stop him?

“It is complete distraction as far as I am concerned. Let him do the work for which he was elected. We have so many problems in this country and he has so much to do. Why are we bothering him with the question of whether he is entitled to run or not?

“If there is any agreement he signed with anybody I am not aware of that as far as I am concerned. My comments are based on the provision of the 1999 constitution. There is nothing in that constitution that stops him from running. This is his first term and he is entitled to run for a second term as allowed by the constitution. So I don’t want to be bothered by this distraction.”