Posted by VINCENT EGUNYANGA, Abuja on
RANKS of prominent Nigerians opposed to President Olusegun Obasanjo's alleged third term bid swell yesterday with former Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Umar Ghali Na'Abba joining forces with those resisting the move.
RANKS of prominent Nigerians opposed to President Olusegun Obasanjo's alleged third term bid swell yesterday with former Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Umar Ghali Na'Abba joining forces with those resisting the move.
Na'Abba called on the North to prepare to mobilise against the speculated aspiration even as the geopolitical bloc itself condemned and rejected what it described as the wave of sponsored agitations for extension of tenure of not only the President but other political office holders.
The North said any prolongation of tenure beyond 2007 was unconstitutional, saying it stood solidly behind power shift to the region.
Alhaji Na'Abba made his plea while addressing the third General Meeting of members of the Northern Union, led by frontline politician Dr. Olusola Saraki, in Abuja. Political heavyweights from the bloc attended the parley.
According to the former Speaker, the plot to make President Obasanjo continue in office after 2007 is real.
He told delegates at the meeting that President Obasanjo has outlived his usefulness and "he should not be allowed to make himself a life president."
Na'Abba disclosed that some Northerners are working for the extension of Obasanjo's tenure.
He, however, urged them to ignore such people since, according to him, "they are in the minority and are protecting their selfish interests."
Na'Abba assessed the last six years of President Obasanjo's government, describing the period as one of disaster not only to the people of the North, but to all Nigerians.
Both Alhaji Na'Abba and former deputy Senate President in the second republic John Wash Pam, who also spoke, said the essence of the meeting of the union was to mobilise the North towards the 2007 general elections.
At the end of the meeting, the Northern Union slammed agitations to extend tenure of political office holders, describing same as dishonourable and unacceptable to it.
The union stated that the agitatins for such extension ran contrary to the relevant stipulations of the constitution as re-inforced at the last National Political Reforms Conference (NPRC).
"The Northern Union restates its irrevocable commitment to the realisation of power shift as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and particularly request the Northern Political Leaders and groups to forge a common front towards the realisation of power shift to the North come 2007", the resolution said.
The union re-stated its commitment to the constitution on the four-year, two-term tenure in office of the holders as enshrined in the constitution.
On the forthcoming national head count, the union expressed satisfaction with the efforts of both the National Population Commission (NPC) states and local governments in the count down to the exercise.
"The Union further appeals to Nigerians to stop politicising the exercise as it is intended for developmental purposes," it urged.
Prominent personalities at he meeting included arclaimed leader of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) caucus of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Lawal Kaita, former presidential aspirant and president, African Business Roundtable, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and former Internal Affairs Minister, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Magoro (rtd).
There were also former Presidential Liaison Officer (PLO) in the Second Republic, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, Mallam Sidi Ali Sirajo, former Steel Minister, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, Talban Banchi, Alhaji Ibrahim Tahir, another former Minister, Amb. Yerima Abdullahi, Alhaji Usman Farouk, former Vice Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and political activist, Prof. Ango Abdullahi and many others.