I Can Spend More Than Eight Years in Office- GEJ

 As insinuation over his possible intention to seek re-election in 2015 mounts, President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, told a Federal High Court in Abuja that contrary to the provision of the 1999 constitution, the tenure of an incumbent president can extend beyond four or eight years.

President Jonathan, who adduced the argument while responding to a fresh suit seeking to bar him from vying for presidency in 2015, maintained that those who were contesting his possible bid in the next presidential election, had failed to canvass any valid reason why he cannot contest. The fresh suit was filed against him by a Port Harcourt-based legal practitioner, Henry Amadi, who is equally a card carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.


The plaintiff is contending that Jonathan is not eligible to contest in 2015 on the grounds that by so doing he would be spending more than the maximum period of two terms of four years envisaged by the 1999 constitution. The suit is similar to the previous one filed by another member of the PDP, Mr Cyriacus Njoku, on March 20, 2012 before an Abuja High Court, which is equally seeking to stop Jonathan from contesting in 2015 on the premise that he is already in his second term in office.
Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi had earlier slated November 13, 2012 to deliver judgment on Njoku’s suit but subsequently adjourned indefinitely following his trip abroad. Meanwhile, in the instant suit, Amadi named Jonathan and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as defendants.

The plaintiff is asking the court to stop Jonathan from putting himself forward or participating as candidate for election to the office of the President at the end of his current term of office in 2015. Amadi also asked the court to direct INEC not to accept Jonathan’s nomination as candidate of the PDP by 2015 because by so doing, Jonathan will hoist illegality in the polity since the oath of allegiance and office he will take if he wins will violate the two oaths of allegiance and office stipulated by the 1999 constitution.