By Festus Owete and Emmanuel Ogala

February 17, 2010 01:04PM




Despite the recent denials of members of the Senate National Interest Group of any plot to commence impeachment proceedings against ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua, there is clear evidence that such a plot is indeed gaining grounds in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Bala Muhammed, the chairman of the National Interest Group in the Senate yesterday denied any plans to impeach Mr Yar’Adua if the Executive Council of the Federation does not declare the president incapable of discharging his duties within 48 hours.

There had been reports that the National Interest Group gave this ultimatum on Monday in Abuja, the nation’s capital. However, Mr. Muhammed, an All Nigeria Peoples Party senator from Bauchi State told fellow senators at yesterday’s plenary session that he never uttered words to that effect. “I have never spoken to anybody,” he said. “I am not the spokesman of the Senate. I will never infringe on the institutional rights of the Senate. My group is just a lobby group and our opinion cannot be regarded as that of the entire senate; but even if I have said it, it is my opinion as a Senator.”

Uche Chukwumerije, an obvious sympathiser of the group, also denied the report, calling it, “a low creative fiction, amateurish, and its consequences are to diminish the image of the entire Senate and reduce all of us to little conspirators,”

Too far gone

However, sources at the National Assembly, said there is renewed anxiety in both legislative houses over a plot to launch such a process soon inspite of the resolutions last week, making Goodluck Jonathan Acting President.

NEXT learnt that some members of the House had actually met with senators belonging to the National Interest Group on Monday night, to deliberate on ways to bring impeachment proceedings against the president.

Another group, comprising solely of members of the House of Representatives, also held a separate meeting the same night to discuss the same issue. About 60 people reportedly attended this meeting and a prominent member of the group, who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the meeting discussed the President’s absence and agreed to wait for the decision of the Executive Council of the Federation, which is meeting today, before deciding on the action to take.

“Impeachment can be a short or long process, so long as it is not circumvented,” the source said. “But I don’t think we need to go that far unless we are pushed and that is if the executive council does not do what it is supposed to do.

We agreed that we will only fall back to Section 143 (on impeachment) if the council does not act in line with Section 144 of the Constitution. We also believe that if we start the process, the Executive Council of the Federation will be forced to act because they know the implication of impeaching a president.” The lawmaker said the decision to await the action of the Executive Council meeting was informed by the belief that Mr Yar’Adua may in fact be too far gone to know what is happening, and cannot therefore be charged with what he does not know.

“This is a Catch-22 situation. We see it so because gross misconduct can be intentional and unintentional. But in this case, it can be intentional because he (president) granted an interview to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and also signed the Supplementary Budget,” he said, adding, “we are looking critically at all these angles.”

Sole administrator

Our source said the group in the House will formally announce its name and objectives at a press conference before the end of this week, probably on Thursday or Friday.

Another lawmaker who attended the Monday meeting with the Senators also said the meeting was convened to harmonise views on the matter, “because the Senators cannot impeach the president alone.” It was gathered that some northern lawmakers at the meeting complained that their section of the country no longer have any voice in the Presidency, since Mr Jonathan emerged as Acting President.

Our source said they were worried that the position of Mr Jonathan was like that of a sole administrator.

Some 200 members of the House had, last month, asked Mr Yar’Adua to transmit a letter to the National Assembly in line with Section 145 of the Constitution and transfer power temporarily to Mr Jonathan pending his return from his medical trip.

Cliff edge

The Senate leadership has consistently denied any plans to start impeachment proceedings against President Yar’Adua if the Executive Council of the Federation does not declare the President incapable of discharging his duties by the end of today.

David Mark, the Senate President, said the Senate does not have the authority to give members of the Executive Council of the Federation an ultimatum on when to deliberate on the issue of Mr. President’s health status or capability.

Mr. Mark said the Senate’s position regarding the long absence of Mr. Yar’Adua is that moderation should be the key to handling the matter.

“This is a trying period for the country and people should not drive us to the end of the cliff where the country will fall to nowhere,” Mr. Mark said.

Saudi House Report

Meanwhile, members of the five-man team mandated by the House to visit Mr Yar’Adua attended the plenary session yesterday, but failed to present their report as earlier scheduled.

No member of the House raised the matter or asked the team for its report. It was gathered that the team had before the sitting told the Speaker that it would present its report on Thursday.

The chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Ita Enang said last night, during a telephone interview, that the report could not be presented because the team had not finished compiling it.

Although he would not confirm if it will be presented on Thursday, Mr Enang said the report could be brought within 30 minutes, and it will be listed by his committee.

The Minority Whip and Action Congress leader, Femi Gbajabiamila confirmed that the committee is still putting its report together, saying “let us give them the benefit of the doubt.”

The critical bill

At the end of the plenary session, Dimeji Bankole announced that the public hearing on the bill to amend Sections 145 and 199 of the Constitution will commence today and urged members to attend the event.

The bill, sponsored by Suleiman Kawu (ANPP, Kano) and 33 others, is titled “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Cap C23 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 to Make Provision for the Vice President and Deputy Governor to Assume and Discharge the Functions of the President/Governor during their absence or Temporary Incapacity and for Matters Connected Therewith , 2010.” It was read for the second time on February 4 and referred to House ad-hoc committee on constitution review headed by the deputy speaker, Usman Nafada.

If passed, it will allow the vice president to assume the position of Acting President and discharge the functions of the president after 21 days of continuous absence of the President. It scaled second reading in the House of Representatives yesterday.

It will also allow deputy governors to assume the position of acting governors if their governors were away for a continuous period of 21 days.


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