A
abujagirl
Guest
Nigeria's first lady, Patience Jonathan has explained why she would not be handing over her position as President African First Ladies Peace Mission to Aisha, wife of President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari.
There had been media reports that Dame Patience was keen on hosting an African First Ladies Mission Summit before May 29 so as to block Mrs Buhari from taking her position.
Explaining the reasons why Mrs Buhari cannot take over from her, an aide to Dame Jonathan, Mr. Ayo Adewuyi told PUNCH that Mrs. Jonathan was elected President in July 2012 and was meant to serve for two years, according to the group’s internal regulation. He further said that while her tenure ought to have ended in 2014, when a fresh election should have held, the President’s wife drew the attention of her colleagues to the then forthcoming election in Nigeria, which preparation would not enable her host the summit.
''Arising from the above, it is therefore clear that this is not a personal matter nor specifically a Nigeria sole affair but a continental platform governed by its own rules and protocols just as similar international organisations. It would therefore be out of place for anyone to insinuate that it is intended to shut out the incoming First Lady. This cannot be farther from the truth.
''We state therefore without any iota of equivocation that it is mischievous for anyone to scheme to cause disaffection between the outgoing and incoming First Ladies, Dame Patience Jonathan, and Hajia Aisha Buhari. Let us therefore come together in our tradition of hospitality to heartily welcome our guests, the African First Ladies, as they arrive Abuja for the 8th Summit of the Mission.
''Let us always remember that the personal ambition of anybody is not worth destroying the image of the nation''.
There had been media reports that Dame Patience was keen on hosting an African First Ladies Mission Summit before May 29 so as to block Mrs Buhari from taking her position.
Explaining the reasons why Mrs Buhari cannot take over from her, an aide to Dame Jonathan, Mr. Ayo Adewuyi told PUNCH that Mrs. Jonathan was elected President in July 2012 and was meant to serve for two years, according to the group’s internal regulation. He further said that while her tenure ought to have ended in 2014, when a fresh election should have held, the President’s wife drew the attention of her colleagues to the then forthcoming election in Nigeria, which preparation would not enable her host the summit.
''Arising from the above, it is therefore clear that this is not a personal matter nor specifically a Nigeria sole affair but a continental platform governed by its own rules and protocols just as similar international organisations. It would therefore be out of place for anyone to insinuate that it is intended to shut out the incoming First Lady. This cannot be farther from the truth.
''We state therefore without any iota of equivocation that it is mischievous for anyone to scheme to cause disaffection between the outgoing and incoming First Ladies, Dame Patience Jonathan, and Hajia Aisha Buhari. Let us therefore come together in our tradition of hospitality to heartily welcome our guests, the African First Ladies, as they arrive Abuja for the 8th Summit of the Mission.
''Let us always remember that the personal ambition of anybody is not worth destroying the image of the nation''.