Become Nigeria Mandela, Don't Contest in 2015- Reps Tells Jonathan

The valedictory session on Wednesday for former President of South Africa, late Dr. Nelson Mandela was used by some members of the House of Representatives to pass indirect political messages to President Goodluck Jonathan.

The House had held the session to honour the post-apartheid leader, who died last week at the age of 95.

Information Nigeria gathered that lawmakers used the opportunity to subtly ask Jonathan not to seek a second term in office come 2015 by following in the footsteps of the late freedom fighter and global icon.

“Follow the Mandela example; he didn’t seek a second term in office,” one of the lawmakers said.
A rep. member from Kano State, Ali Madaki, said he disagreed with a statement credited to Mr. Jonathan that there is no Nigerian politician that can be like Mandela.

“Mr. Speaker, I believe that we can produce a Mandela. Let Jonathan act as our Mandela by not contesting in 2015”, Madaki stated.

The lawmaker urged Mr. Jonathan not to behave like former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who pointedly told his former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in 2003 that he (Obasanjo) would not be a Mandela.

“Atiku advised Obasanjo to be a Mandela by not seeking a second term in office back then. But, Obasanjo replied that he was not Mandela. Let Mr. President be our Mandela; let him stay away in 2015,” Madaki added.

The Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, who presided over the valedictory session, commended the virtues for which Mandela is being remembered for saying that “words seem inadequate to describe Mandela”.