I never said I’ll not contest second term - Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday said that he was quoted out of context in the statement he made on running only a single term.

The president said this when he had an interactive session with Islamic Clerics from South West region at the State House, Marina, Lagos.

“I need to clarifiy this otherwise I do not need to talk about it. This matter continues to come up.”

He said those who have been playing the tape where it was shown that he had pledged to run only a single term had not been sincere.

The President said that what happened was that late President Umaru Yar’Adua came out with political reforms when he, Jonathan was the Vice president.

Jonathan said that he was the chairman of the interparty group of the committee set up by late Yar’adua to agree on the president’s proposal for a single tenure.

He said the statement he made in Addis Ababa was within the context of the proposal.

“I made that statement in Addis Ababa, when I addressed Nigerians. I made that statement after I had won elections.”

He said that he told the audience in Addis that that recommendation would move the country forward.

“I was advising Nigerians in Addis Ababa and I made mention of this issue of seven years of single tenure as being the best for the country.”

“I now added that if Nigerians will agree to run a single tenure of seven years I will not contest. That was the statement I made.”

He said that he still believed in that recommendation in order to prevent the waste of resources during re-election bids of incumbents.