A South-West delegate at the ongoing National Conference, Salvador Adegoke Moshood, has accused the North of using Boko Haram attacks to destabilize the President Goodluck Jonathan administration with a view to reclaiming the Presidency.
Moshood, who made this known in an exclusive interview with Vanguard, noted that the declaration by certain northern leaders to make the country ungovernable for Jonathan was almost becoming a reality with the raging war being waged by the North’s Boko Haram insurgents.
The delegate, who represents Ethnic Nationalities at the confab and a former House of Representatives member from Lagos State, warned the president not to rely on the core North to realize his re-election bid in 2015 but to make efforts to clinch the votes in the South and North-Central parts of Nigeria as well as those of some Northern Christian communities.
Moshood said: “If he thinks the northerners are going to get him 2015 Presidency, I would tell Mr. President that he is making a big mistake.
“Even if President Jonathan gives the North all the appointments in Nigeria, they would still not back him because they are looking for his seat. So he should know that for now.
“All the President’s political strength is in the South and North Central. He has to work hard on that and think of how to get more support from the remaining Christian parts of the North. There is nothing, I repeat; there is nothing the North can do for him: the North cannot stop him from getting to where God had designed for him.
“So, why is Jonathan wasting his time and allowing sacred cows to flourish in the midst of Boko Haram assault? Why would known financiers of Boko Haram be left to go unpunished?
“Why should we allow Boko Haram supporters and sympathisers who have infiltrated the administration to go free and exert negative impact on the security?” the delegate asked.
The delegate argued that the president would earn the sympathy and votes of more Nigerians if he took concrete steps to end the evil being perpetuated by Boko Haram in Nigeria.
“What I am saying that the President does not want to step on toes; he does not want to hurt anybody. But he cannot get to the root of this problem if he does not step on toes. They had said that they would make his administration ungovernable and they have done so.
“Therefore, let Mr. President stand firm and confront the monster staring Nigeria on its face. It is even the courageous action of Mr. President that will even endear him more to the people of Nigeria”, Moshood said.