Sahara Reporters

Proposed Seven-Year Single Tenure “Misunderstood”, President Jonathan Says

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has said his proposed seven-year single tenure for Nigeria’s President has been misunderstood by those who think he wants to add that term to his current one.

President Jonathan was speaking to Mr. Alain Juppe, the French Foreign Minister who visited him in Abuja today as part of his trip to Nigeria.
 
“My proposal for a single seven-year tenure is anchored on the need for an incumbent President to focus maximum attention on the execution of his development programmes, instead of expending vital energy on re-election issues, though this has been misunderstood to mean I want additional seven years”, he told Mr. Juppe.
 
President Jonathan noted that democratic political stability has returned to Africa, although in some African countries, the major challenge still remains the attempt by the incumbent to stay in power beyond constitutional mandates, or to insist on anointing their successors. While deploring this, President Jonathan pointed out that much progress is being made across the continent, and that Africa’s success stories should be encouraged.
 
He expressed appreciation to French President Nicolas Sarkozy for his consistent support and friendship to Nigeria and Africa, adding that President Sarkozy’s “robust support and friendship” had enabled Nigeria and ECOWAS to successfully restore peace in Cote d’Ivoire.

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