All Progressives Congress (APC) Interim Chairman in Rivers State, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, this afternoon challenged President Jonathan to address the nation on crucial issues raised in the letter recently written to him by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in a matter of days.

Dr. Ikanya in a statement in Port Harcourt described the issues raised in General Obasanjo’s letter as being too weighty to be swept under the carpet, saying that the President’s “silence is no longer golden.” He cautioned against attacking the personality of Obasanjo, saying it would be tantamount to attacking the messenger rather than addressing the issues raised, which, according to him, would determine the country’s future.

“We will not like to pass any judgement at the moment until we hear from Mr. President on some of the issues General Olusegun raised, particularly the allegation that the President is setting up a Presidential Strike Force to carry out terrorist attacks on political opponents and the one pertaining to the diversion of $49.8b from the Federation Account,” Dr. Ikanya said.

He also advised President Jonathan “to tell Nigerians if he did assure General Obasanjo as stated in his letter that he would not contest the 2015 general election and if, he did, to adopt the Mandela option and forgo the 2015 general election if truly he loves this nation. This will make him not only a statesman but also our own Mandela and thereby save our nation the trauma his perceived candidature for 2015 is causing the nation.”

Continuing, the Rivers State Interim APC Chairman said: “Has Mr. President any hand in the current plot to destabilise PDP as contained in the letter and trying to sacrifice Tukur for all his alleged muddling in the affairs of the party? What of the current effort by some of Mr. President’s aides to cause confusion in Rivers State through the ill-advised attempt by the minority lawmakers to impeach Governor Chibuike Amaechi? Mr. President must address the nation on all these allegations one by one and reassure us on our future as a nation. He should also address the massive corruption going on in the NNPC as alleged by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, and the CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. Keeping quiet on these serious and unfortunate issues is not helping matters.

“Our nation has suffered enough and Mr. President must be seen as providing the leadership he was elected to deliver.”

•Photo shows President Jonathan.