Some members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday seized the opportunity of a valedictory session for former South African President Nelson Mandela to pass political messages to President Goodluck Jonathan.
The House had held the session to honour the late freedom fighter. However, lawmakers cleverly used the opportunity to ask Jonathan not to seek a second term in 2015.
“Follow the Mandela example; he didn’t seek a second term in office,” one of the lawmakers said.
A member from Kano State, Mr. Ali Madaki, said he disagreed with a statement credited to Jonathan that Nigeria could not produce a Mandela.
“Mr. Speaker, I believe that we can produce a Mandela. Let Jonathan act as our Mandela by not contesting in 2015,” Madaki stated.
Madaki called on Jonathan not to behave like former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who pointedly told former Vice-President 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,” he added.
The Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, who presided over the valedictory session, lauded Mandela’s virtues, saying that “words seem inadequate to describe Mandela.”
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