Former federal Attorney General and Justice Minister, Bola Ajibola, has urged Goodluck Jonathan not to run for President, despite calls for him to do so from different quarters, North and South, the latest being the one on Monday by former Senator Arthur Nzeribe.

Ajibola bared his mind on Sunday night at the fourth Sardauna Excellence and Leadership Awards in Abuja, arguing that the fairness and credibility of the ballot cannot be guaranteed if Jonathan  becomes a player in a game he is the umpire.

“Jonathan cannot be Judge in his own case. Let’s have electricity. We are going to have another election in darkness.

“Nigerians are terribly and endemically corrupt. Let him give us electricity and reduce the level of corruption in the country,” he stressed.

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Sardauna magazine, Hassan       Rilwan, pointed out that Jonathan is qualified and has every right to run for the Villa, but queried if he can deliver a free and fair election when he is an interested party.

In his view, “Even if (Jonathan) wants to, will his supporters be able to resist the temptation of rigging on his behalf?

“We need a departure from the past; the departure can be achieved if he does not contest for now and remains the unbiased umpire who will make our votes count henceforth. This is a huge personal  sacrifice we are suggesting that he makes.”

On zoning, Rilwan said it might have been necessary in the past but it cannot last forever, since Nigeria needs the best hands to move it forward, regardless of ethnic origin.

He canvassed the institutionalisation of internal democracy in the  political parties to prevent bad and incompetent rulers from holding elective offices.

The recipients of the Sardauna Life-time Achievers Awards were Ajibola, Senators Olorunimbe Mamora and Jubril Aminu, Ahmed Joda, and Mohammed Magoro.

Others included Governors Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Aliyu Doma (Nasarawa),  and Ikedi Ohakim (Imo), and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Lamido Sanusi.

Back on Jonathan, Nzeribe told a press conference in Abuja that what is needed is a political resolution that will allow him govern for two terms of eight years.

He acknowledged that the man is yet to declare his intention, but insisted that  he can run under free and fair election.

He added: “Arguments on the existence of zoning would this time around miss the mark, as overriding them is the question of who determines zoning. This is done whether by way of practice or as a matter of principle.   

 “It Suffices to remark that just as Abdulsalami Abubakar did in 1998 and Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003 and 2007, they, by virtue of their exalted position, determined where the Presidency resided.

“It is expected that our President should decide where the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) prefers the President to emerge from. In doing, (Jonathan) can as well offer himself in the PDP for consideration to run for President, in fact, he should run under free and fair elections.”

Nzeribe said the Niger Delta, where Jonathan hails from, deserves to be given the chance to rule the country for eight years having suffered marginalisation despite being the goose that lays the golden egg.

“We should be debating conceding the Presidency to the Niger Delta son. It is an undisputed fact that the Niger Delta has supported, developed, fed, and still is feeding Nigeria for 40 years.

“Viewed from this angle to allow for a four year presidential leadership for the goose that lays the golden egg is not too much. Eight years for 40 years, where is the scale of justice?”

He described those opposed to Jonathan’s run as an “immoral group.”

He also chided South East Governors for not supporting Jonathan enough.

“The South East Governors made a statement of support for Jonathan but this is not enough; their declaration of support should be concrete. Since they have spoken out, they should go the full length or keep quiet.

“Whatever you choose to call it, power shift or zoning, no group or person is more important than the PDP. When the first arrangement was made, Obasanjo emerged President, all the factors people have raised existed but we were able to arrange things and maintain peace at the same time.”