Governors across the 36 states of the federation have drawn the battlline with the National Assembly members over moves to make federal lawmakers automatic members of their parties’ National Executive Councils (NEC).
Within two weeks of its presentation, the Bill for an Act to amend the Electoral Act 2010, which will confer the status of automatic membership of NEC of registered political parties on National Assembly members had sailed through Second Reading in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State said in Minna, Niger State yesterday that the move by the federal lawmakers had the capacity to undermine the nation’s democracy.
Saraki said he was in Minna to consult with Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu in his capacity as the Chairman, Northern Governors’ Forum.
He said similar visit would be made to Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole to aggregate the position of governors on the matter.

The Kwara governor contended that the position of the National Assembly members smirks of selfish interest which, he said, was not good for the nation’s democracy.
“The interest of the nation as a whole must come first before any other selfish interest. On the part of the executive, we made a commitment that once the constitutional amendment is brought to the state assemblies, we in the states will try and ensure that it receives speedy attention.”
According to Saraki, the issue of who becomes a member of the NEC of parties should be left to individual parties.
“We have advised them, we have told them we do not support their move, it is not in the overall interest of the nation.
“I don’t think the National Assembly should take such action. We have always commended them on other steps they have taken in the past, especially on the amendments to the constitution.

Opposition parties, including the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Labour Party (LP), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) had earlier vowed to fight the attempts by the federal lawmakers to gate crash into the NECs of the political parties.
Meanwhile, a member of the House of Representatives, Patrick Obahiagbon has said the bill was self centred.
Obahiagbon, representing Oredo Federal constituency of Edo State on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) slammed his colleagues, who passed the bill, saying “it is synonymous with legislative rascality and parliamentary recklessness.”

He likened what his colleagues did as unbridled excesses of legislators, in dictating composition of political parties’ executives using legislative instruments, which, he said, was similar to what happened during the dark days of the military rule.
According to him, the proposed law which seeks to make members of the National Assembly members of parties’ NEC was anti-democratic and should be resisted by the electorate, adding that his party, the ACN has voiced out against it, because “the issue of party NEC membership should be left solely to the political parties.”
“I call on all members of the National Assembly to backpedal and back down from the expressed intention of making a law to make members automatic members of their parties’ NEC.

“My party rejects it, my constituency rejects it and myself as a parliamentarian reject it too.’’
Obahiagbon said members of the parliament who were vehemently opposed to the proposal were being mobilised against the unpopular bill and called on all progressive minded Nigerians within and outside the National Assembly to ensure that such law did not see the light of day.
“We all, especially the critical media must continue to speak out against the introduction of such a law into our Electoral Act. We must not go to slumber until the intended amendment of the electoral law leaves the parliament and gets presidential assent.”
He noted it was worrisome that six months to the 2011 general elections, political parties and their aspirants were still debating on the issue of zoning rather than addressing critical issues confronting the stability of the nation.

“ Therefore, appeal to the critical and progressive media and to all positive democratic forces in the country to refocus the presidential debate to real issues of national economy. We have a right to know the clear-cut ideological direction of our presidential aspirants.’’
On the annulment of the review of the 1999 Constitution by a Federal High Court in Lagos, Obahiagbon said allowing the President to assent to the amended constitution would not prevent the deepening of rule of law and our nascent democratic process.
“What does the National Assembly stand to lose if in the overall national interest , it allows for presidential assent now while the litigation continues up to the Supreme Court,’’he said.


He described as shameful, roles being played by the state governors of Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia, Imo and Anambra over the strike by state owned universities in the South -east and wondered how the region could meet up with target of Millenium Developement Goals(MDGs ).

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/nov/16/national-16-11-2010-001.htm