Posted by By ABDULFATAH OLADEINDE on
United States President, George Bush has voiced his fears about Nigeria sliding into the abyss over the alleged third term bid of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
United States President, George Bush has voiced his fears about Nigeria sliding into the abyss over the alleged third term bid of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Also yesterday in Washington DC, a band of Nigerians opposed to the third term agenda protested in front of the White House.
Bush was said to have advised President Obasanjo during a private discussion at the White House in Washington DC on Wednesday to save Nigeria the ordeal of third term and respect the principle of term limitations.
Authoritative sources at the meeting told Daily Sun that the US leader thanked his guest for his contribution towards peace and development in Africa, particularly in Darfur, Sudan, the African Union (AU) and the G8, but appealed to him to do same for Nigeria.
Bush further stressed that if the National Assembly should amend the constitution to accommodate third term, Obasanjo should reject it, taking a cue from South Africa's Thabo Mbeki who turned down a similar offer.
'At the end of the day, it's your country, it's not like anybody can do anything but I'm just advising you as a friend," Bush was quoted to have told his guest.
According to the US president, the rest of the world is scared of what happens if Nigeria breaks into conflict considering its size.
Responding, President Obasanjo was said to have assured Mr Bush that he had no plans to extend his stay in office beyond May next year.
He reportedly said Nigerians were free to comment on the third term issue but it did not imply that he harboured the intentions.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the Voice of America (VOA) in New York, President Obasanjo re-echoed views reportedly expressed at the meeting with Bush, rejecting suggestions that he was 'manipulating" the National Assembly into amending the constitution to give him a third term in office.
'I am not a manoeuvrer, I am not a manipulator, I am a democrat," he declared.
President Obasanjo said that it was the legitimate and constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly to make laws for Nigeria and, to amend such laws, including the constitution which is the country's supreme law.
President Obasanjo, however, said during the interview that the issue of a third term did not come up in his discussions with President George Bush, because 'President Bush will regard that as our internal affair, which of course, it is."
'For now, it is not on the cards," President Obasanjo told VOA when asked if he had any plans for a third term in office. 'The plan I have now is to complete the term I have on my hands. I have work to do. I will continue to do it and I will not do anything that is unconstitutional," he said.
'Whatever is happening now is not personal to Obasanjo or his government. We are talking about fundamental and necessary amendments to our constitution. This is not a thing that started yesterday. It started almost seven years ago with the All-Party Committee. It is the legitimate right of the National Assembly and they are going about it the right way," the President said, adding that thus far, the National Assembly and its constitution review committee had followed steps 'laid down in the constitution and by its own rules."
Asked to comment on reports that a former Nigerian President had expressed and declared an interest in contesting next year's presidential elections, President Obasanjo said every Nigerian should feel free to exercise their right to seek elective offices if they wanted to.
On the recently concluded national census, President Obasanjo said: 'A great awareness and enthusiasm has attended this particular census. I think that for the first time, Nigerians enthusiastically wanted to be counted. For me, that is a good thing. It is a credit to the awareness the National Population Commission had created and the support the international community gave. No human exercise can be regarded as perfect. On this one, we give ourselves near full marks. That people can complain is healthy. It is also healthy that they have a place to complain to and get redress."
On the issue of Charles Taylor, President Obasanjo demanded an apology from all those who had rushed to cast aspersions on Nigeria's management of the affair.
'I believe that Nigeria handled the issue of Charles Taylor well. We must remember the context in which Charles Taylor came to Nigeria. He was not brought to Nigeria under arrest. Nigeria was not negligent. When he escaped from jail here, was the country negligent? When two Nigerian governors jumped bail in Britain, did we accuse the British of negligence? Those who made such comments owe Nigeria an apology," the President said.
Yesterday in Washington DC, a band of Nigerians opposed to the third term agenda protested in front of the White House. They carried placards with different inscriptions like ‘We need regime change in Nigeria in 2007,' ‘ Obasanjo, release political hostages now - Fasehun, Uwazuruike, Dokubo,' and ‘No to third term in Nigeria.'