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jonathan goodluck President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said the controversial single-term tenure was a creation of all political parties in Nigeria with the exception of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

The idea was a 'common' proposal adopted by political parties which won elections shortly after the 2007 general polls, he stated.

Jonathan spoke at the 56th edition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Executive Council meeting in Abuja.

Admitting that he was yet to consult widely on the subject matter before it was leaked to the press, Jonathan insisted that his tenure in office would terminate on May 29, 2015. According to him, he is not using the proposal to clamour for tenure extension.

Jonathan, who regretted the criticism generated over the single-term proposal, said the proposal was mooted after political parties met in a bid to harmonise a common position to be sent to the then Justice Mohammed Uwais-led political reform committee.

He said: "I asked one or two people about this and I felt that it was a good idea. So the issue leaked out to the press and, instead of talking about whether the issue is a single tenure or we should continue with the existing two-term, people are rather pinning it to tenure extension and elongation of tenure. And people were holding meetings, we said no, no, no, we must clarify this.

"Nobody should hold meeting about elongation of tenure, it has nothing to do with elongation of tenure. The tenure of Jonathan and Vice-President Namadi Sambo will end on May 29, 2015. That is the constitutional requirement of a four-year tenure. So, it has nothing to do with that.

"But, the clarification that came out rather compounded the whole story. And how did it even come about? Some of you will remember that 2008/2009 when we came on board and at the end of the election, the feeling that the election was poorly done was so dramatised both within and outside the country. People felt that elections were not properly conducted. So, if I have the opportunity to oversee elections, they must be credible so that people will accept us anywhere.

"Because of those challenges, the late President Umaru Yar'Adua set up the Uwais panel to look into the electoral reform and so on. He also asked all the parties to come together and form a team so that all the parties will submit a common position. And he asked me then, as the vice-president, to chair the inter-party committee to come up with a common memorandum to the Uwais committee.

"We invited all the parties that formed government and they participated. Only the ACN did not participate. To be fair to them, the other parties attended and we spent almost three weeks or a month. The report is there."

The president further said that, "One of the things raised, discussed and accepted was that a single tenure option may reduce some of these acrimonies. One is not saying that it is the ultimate but if you look at the evolution of the political system, the two-tenure is the ultimate. Because even countries which have single tenure, after some time, go for the double tenure. So, it is like an evolutionary process."

He said the proposal for a single term in office was not conceptualised by him, just as he claimed that he was yet to consult other major stakeholders, adding that it was a memo submitted by all the parties that contained that.

"Indeed, I started asking some people some questions and so the information leaked to the press and they started to make issues out of it. But, I assure the party that a major constitution amendment cannot go to the National Assembly except I consult with the leaders of the party and consult with the National Assembly and consult with the governors.

"Because the way the information flowed, we said we will correct the impression. it has nothing to do with the four-year presidency that Nigerians have given to us. We just wanted to clarify it and I think we need to mention that it was not my idea; it was the idea of the committee that I chaired which we believe those of us, the majority members of the committee believe, is the best option.

"But for the bill to go for constitution amendment, consultations have to be done widely. Though some of the statements are quite insulting because of the type of politics we play, I tell PDP members not to join issues with people but just clarify so that people will understand. I just need to mention this so that people will know the evolution of this so called single tenure."

Also at the meeting, the president asked members of the PDP who could not adhere to party rules and regulations to quit. Henceforth, the party would not tolerate indiscipline and would enforce disciplinary measures to checkmate the excesses of members, the president said.

Meanwhile, the PDP has fixed its national convention date for February 25, 2012. The development was part of resolutions reached at the end of the meeting of the NEC of the party held yesterday. Events to kick off the convention will start with ward congresses on January 7, 2012.

Presenting the communiqué, the national publicity secretary of the PDP, Prof. Rufai Alkali, said the state and zonal congresses of the party had been slated for January 21 and February 4, 2012, respectively, adding that newly elected NWC members are expected to be handed over to between February 27 and March 8, 2012.

Also the party resolved to constitute a 21-member committee to propose amendments for the party's constitution for what it termed the bid for its statutes to align with provisions of the Electoral Act.

"NEC also approved the constitution of a 21-member Committee to propose amendments for the PDP Constitution to align it with provision of the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Members of the press will recall that the amendment of the Electoral Act, 2011 renders some provisions of the

PDP Constitution obsolete. Such issues as inclusion of unelected delegates to congresses and conventions as well as mode of elections shall be reviewed in line with the new Electoral Law.

"The 21-member committee shall be chaired by the national legal adviser with members drawn from the executive, National Assembly, Governors' Forum, state chairmen, youths and women representatives and the National Secretariat," the resolution stated

Meanwhile, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is also the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwwal and his deputy, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha stayed away from the PDP's NEC meeting of which they are members.

Their absence may be connected with the utterances of Obasanjo, who reportedly at the party's BoT meeting on Tuesday called on the leadership of the House to be disciplined for defying the party's zoning formula, saying such action was capable of destroying the party.

Others who attended yesterday's NEC meeting included Vice-President Sambo, Senate president David Mark, his deputy Ike Ekwerenmadu, and Senate leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba. Governors Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Saidu Dakyingyari (Kebbi) and Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe) also attended. Others included the deputy governors of Taraba, Jigawa, Abia, and Sokoto states.

Former PDP chairman Chief Solomon Lar, Senator Barnabas Gemade, Chief Tony Anenih, Dr. Bello Haliru, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Isaiah Balat, Dr. Shettima Mustapha, Jerry Gana, Adamu Muazu, Hajiya Inna Ciroma, Ebenezer Babatope and a host of others were in attendance.

Jonathan further reiterated his earlier stance that he was not going to be a beneficiary to the proposed single term, adding that his statement even made clear that details of the proposed bill will be provided in the bill that will be sent to the National Assembly.

Also speaking on the issue, special adviser on media and publicity to the president, Dr Reuben Abati, said, "I believe what it means in clear terms is that the president will not be a beneficiary. In other words the president in 2015 is not going to come and benefit if the amendment sails through. If he tries to do that, then, those who are saying this is an attempt at tenure elongation will have been vindicated.

"He is fully aware of the concern of Nigerians and he is resolute in upholding that statement that he will not be a beneficiary. But, you see, it is early days yet with regards to that We have to wait until that proposal becomes a bill, and the National assembly debates it and we all know the details.

"Everyone knows that such a proposal will have to go through due process and the president is a man who has said again and again that he will not do anything that is against the rule of law. What that means, therefore, is that this proposal will still first go through the Executive Council of the Federation. It will be debated at that level; it will be discussed.

On whether the president will contest in 2015, Abati said, "I think the statement he made in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is that he will not seek a second term in office. But now that this issue has come up afresh I will get you the answers you are looking for."

He said it was curious for people to comment with so much rigour and passion on a bill that they had not yet seen, adding that the debate would have been more useful and qualitative, when that bill was prepared and sent to the National Assembly.

Sorce: Allafrica