Jamiu Yisa

Contrary to speculations that the current administration is planning to extend its tenure by two years, President Goodluck Jonathan has given an assurance that the inauguration of a new president will hold on May 29.

He said this during a media chat with selected journalists this evening, adding that he sees no reasons why Nigerians should doubt the fact that elections will hold as rescheduled.

“The inauguration of the new president will hold on May 29. Anybody who wants to hold the office of the president and thinks he’s more important than the nation, its not right.

“If there is no Nigeria, there is no president. We must work together to ensure we keep Nigeria together. I appointed Jega and if I think he’s not good, I have the power by constitution to remove him. I have not told anyone that I’ll remove him. People just say things they like.

“If INEC conduct this election poorly, its on my head because I’m the sitting president,” he said.

He urged Nigerians not to lose hope on the rescue of the abducted Chibok girls,now that Chadian, Cameroonian and Nigerien troops are in the country.

He said the battle against insurgency recorded a huge leap through the cooperation of neighbouring African countries, noting that there were some challenges in enlisting the support of those countries.

Niger, Chad and Cameroon are currently collaborating with Nigerian troops in a bid to stamp out the activities of the sect.

“I believe that the story of the Chibok girls will be better now that we are working with Niger, Cameroon and Chad. I am more hopeful than before that the girls will be rescued,” he said during Wednesday night’s presidential media chat.

“Nigerians should just give us a few weeks. We are working with our neighbours and we will comb the whole of that area. Just give us some time.

“I do not want to quote a date for the release of the Chibok Girls but the alliance with our neighbours brings hope. There is no hiding place for Boko Haram again”

When asked if the girls would be rescued alive, he said: “I am not God, but I am more hopeful now than before. I believe in the next few weeks some will be rescued.”

He lamented that the issue of insecurity had been politicised, saying Nigerians with international connections were not using their links to the benefit of government.

“People try to place politics with the issue of Chibok girls and that’s unfortunate, very unfortunate,” he said.