Posted by By ISMAIL OMIPIDAN, Abuja on
There are strong indications that the proposed amendment to the 1999 constitution, which, among other things, seeks to allow President Olusegun Obasanjo and other serving state governors stand for election in 2007, may after all not see the light of the day in the Senate.
There are strong indications that the proposed amendment to the 1999 constitution, which, among other things, seeks to allow President Olusegun Obasanjo and other serving state governors stand for election in 2007, may after all not see the light of the day in the Senate.
Sources told Daily Sun in Abuja, at the weekend that shortly after the move to suspend Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu last Wednesday failed, the anti-third term senators decided to woo other colleagues to ensure that the bill was killed on the floor of the House.
According to one of the sources, "what we want to do now is to kill the bill. There should be no amendment until after 2007 elections. As we speak now, we have gotten 40 senators, but we need 37 more to actualise our plan," the source said.
This is coming on the heels of another warning from Senator Idris Kuta (PDP, Niger) to Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, that "the way he (Nnamani) handles the constitution amendment issue will decide whether he will continue (in office) or not".
Kuta further said that what happened at last Wednesday's plenary session, where some senators moved to impeach Mantu, was a clear signal of what is likely to happen when they come to vote in respect of the constitution amendment.
"The handwriting is clear. So both sides (anti and pro) will now go and re-strategise. The tactics has to be changed because they (Mantu and co) never expected that anyone could look at them in the face. The carrot being dangled is that the PDP will give automatic tickets to senators who support third term. May be the new comers will fall for the trap, but for the second timers, we know what happened during the last dispensation.
"All those who were pro- Obasanjo then didn't come back. About 62 senators did not come back. Only 37 came back out of 109. PDP can give you ticket and the electorate will be waiting for you. In all, I believe that what happened in 2003 (blind loyalty) will not repeat itself," Kuta declared.
As part of the new strategies, Daily Sun gathered, plans have reached an advanced stage to get Mantu out of the way, either through resignation or impeachment. Once that is achieved, it was learnt, the work of Mantu committee would be stalled.
Sources told Daily Sun that the Senate may receive Mantu committee report on April 24, 2006, after its Easter break.
Meanwhile, the committee probing the allegations of impropriety against Mantu is expected to round off its sitting by April 25, 2006. If Mantu succeeds in submitting his report before being axed, then the "Senate may likely take it over from there, but if we succeed in removing him (Mantu) before submitting the report, it means the JCCR work will suffer a setback," the source said.