by Akan Ido

In response to a statement recently made by one Umar Ardo faulting the legality of President Goodluck Jonathan’s bid to recontest the 2015 elections, prominent Ijaw leader, Edwin Clark has written an open letter to the Peoples Democratic Party chairman, Adamu Mu’azu.

In the letter, Clark pooh-poohed Ardo’s claims challenging him to prove his case before a competent court of law.

According to the former federal commissioner, the local and international cases cited by Ardo in his statement against Jonathan were not only half facts and make beliefs but outright lies.

Ardo had approached the court to stop President Jonathan from contesting in the 2015 presidential election.

Clark in his open letter to the Peoples Democratic Party National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, said: “After reading Umar Ardo’s open letter to you, on why he thinks President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, must not seek re-election for a second term in the 2015 presidential election, two very pertinent ideas came to my mind.  Firstly, let the writer be ignored, while Nigerians wait to see him in a court of law to canvas his argument to impede President Jonathan’s re-election bid in 2015.

“Secondly, X-ray his half facts, make beliefs and outright lies to the public and those who might be gullible enough to be hoodwinked by the devil’s advocate.  The need to unveil the truth behind his half facts and as well provide details for the many cases and instances he cited, both local and international, especially the United States of America, to buttress his argument and may be incite the public against Mr. President.

“In his passionate attempt to convince readers in his argument, the writer muddled up issues by mentioning cases of several governors that had constitutional issues with their tenure, I mean issues brought about through impeachments, courts and election petition tribunal’s decisions.  The point he canvassed citing the governors’ cases is a complete digression and bears no semblance or correlation with President Jonathan serving the unexpired tenure of the late Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua.

“He mentioned Rashid Ladoja, Rotimi Amaechi, Peter Obi, Boni Haruna and a host of others.  What these governor cases have to do with the argument he puts forward beats the imagination.

“In conclusion, the PDP National Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, the NWC, PDP Governors’ Forum, Stakeholders and the general public should discountenance Umar Ardo’s letter that was widely publicized in almost every major national newspapers.  The letter is ill motivated and sponsored by PDP detractors, who mean harm and would stop at nothing to heat up the polity unnecessarily and in fact even derail our growing democracy.”

Isime Esene