Posted by By Jide Ajani, Political Editor, Vanguard on
In these interesting times for the Nigerian nation, there appears to be a conspiracy by the gods to make this a season of criminalities.
In these interesting times for the Nigerian nation, there appears to be a conspiracy by the gods to make this a season of criminalities. What with the attempt still being made in some quarters by some individuals to foist an extension of the two-term tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo to three, as well as the even more grievous and condemnable escape of Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha from the courts in London. While these are two separate events, the similarity is denominated by the fact that they are acts bothering on criminality.
President Olusegun Obasanjo saved the day; but he would have to save himself now.
It was in the early part of the second quarter of 2001. The tension in the main bowl of the International Conference Centre Abuja was so thick that a knife could cut through. It was a mini-convention of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The issue which had threatened and was still roaring to tear the PDP apart that day is not different from what is being played out now at a macro level of the Nigerian state. The then National Executive Committee, NEC, of the PDP had, in good wisdom amended the constitution of the party to read that the tenure of office for members of its NEC would be upped from two years to four. The reason for this amendment was on good ground. The members had reasoned that a two-year tenure for NEC members would create an unnecessary distraction for its members because the change of guard would almost always fall on a general election year. This, the NEC members, under the chairmanship of Barnabas Gemade, reasoned, would not create room for stability. The NEC also wanted some far-reaching reforms to be engaged but two years would not be enough to carry them through. Therefore, the extension of tenure was indeed justified.
However, a section of the NEC, led, at that time by the Assistant National Publicity Secretary of the party, Gbenga Olawepo, working with his national Publicity Secretary, Emma Ibeshi, smelt a rat.
They found out, to their chagrin, that Gemade, as national chairman, and whose tenure was bound to expire later that year, was angling to enjoy the benefits of that extension of tenure. The duo did not support the move, even while some NEC members were in support.
The mini-convention that day pitched members and the leadership of the party into two camps.
President Obasanjo's speech was supposed to be one of the three last items on the agenda but the possible implosion which could occur in the heated conference centre forced a change of the order of events for the day.
President Obasanjo spoke first. In his speech, he admonished that there was no matter that could not be resolved so long as members kept talking to one another. But he lampooned the idea of the alleged expectation that Gemade was expecting to be a beneficiary of the amendment. In fact, he supported the amendment and he said so.
He made it clear that he could not in good conscience support a retroactive approach to the matter. And so, he saved the day. This was in 2001, just four years and some six months ago.
Today, some hallelujah politicians are working round and outside the clock to sell the idea that an amendment to the 1999 constitution on the tenure of office should be enjoyed by President Obasanjo. This is criminal. Whereas Obasanjo has consistently denied that he is not interested in staying in office beyond 2007, these politicians have made it a project to overheat the polity with this agenda. President Obasanjo can spare himself the opprobrium of being viewed as a president who engaged in criminality which he had once counseled against. (Read Professor John Muibi Amoda's piece).
While Obasanjo has the opportunity of sparing himself, Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha may have further dug himself into the cesspit of criminality by his mysterious re-appearance in Nigeria, while his travel documents were still in the custody of the courts in London. He was alleged to have dressed like a woman in his sneak out escapade.
Interestingly but unbelievably, some otherwise knowledgeable Nigerians are insisting that Alamieyeseigha should be spared even as an impeachment notice has been served on the governor.
In fact, some observers are of the view that Alamieyeseigha secured his own justice and, therefore, should be left to play governor in Government House Yenegoa named Creek Haven.
The state house is indeed a haven as Alamieyeseigha see in his continued residency of that house a secure landing from the arms of the law.
Legal luminary, Gani Fawehinmi, has declared that the governor should be impeached because if there was any doubt as to his culpability in the first instance, his disappearance from London, given the circumstances surrounding it, clearly shows that the governor has committed acts that are indeed Gross Misconduct.