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3rd term bill: Nnamani under pressure to change voting rule

Posted by From ISMAIL OMIPIDAN, Abuja on 2006/04/19 | Views: 584 |

3rd term bill: Nnamani under pressure to change voting rule


As lawmakers return to Abuja after their Easter recess to plan strategies for the third term agenda, pressure is said to be mounting on the Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani to change the rules on voting, regarding the amendment of the constitution.

As lawmakers return to Abuja after their Easter recess to plan strategies for the third term agenda, pressure is said to be mounting on the Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani to change the rules on voting, regarding the amendment of the constitution.

But in a swift reaction, the Senate spokesman, Senator Victor Ndoma- Egba told Daily Sun that those reportedly chasing the Senate president are on a wild goose chase, adding that "how we vote is a constitutional requirement. So to change the rules regarding the voting pattern, would have to start with changing the constitution itself."

Basically, two pattern of voting are usually employed when the Senate is to decide on issues. One is through voice vote and the other is through division, whereby each senator would be required to rise and vote ‘yes' or ‘No.'

However, following the orders from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Headquarters that all its lawmakers "must" queue behind the third term agenda, Daily Sun gathered that there was a renewed effort to ensure that the voice vote pattern was employed.

But most of the anti-third term lawmakers have argued that the only way to resolve the knotty third term issue was through voting, where every senator would be required to rise and say where he/she belongs.
And to ensure that lawmakers fully support the third term agenda, ministers and other presidential aides are said to have been deployed to work on the lawmakers from their various states.
But again, Senator Ndoma Egba said "I haven't seen anyone, and none of the senators has told me that such lobbyists have visited them."

However, Senator Kanti Bello said that is how they have been going round to lobby lawmakers, but it would not work.

"Look, Nigerians have lobbied God, and He (God) will do it for us. Nigerians don't want third term, and so it will fail. Every legislator that has conscience will not vote for it (third term), because even God doesn't want third term," the senator said.

Also speaking in the same vein, a principal officer from the House of Representatives, but who craved for anonymity said "whether you are for or against (third term) you will have to face the consequences, the adverse effect is better imagined.

If you people say they don't want third term,and you as a legislator come here (National Assembly) to vote it, when you run into trouble at home, your governor and your party will not be there to help you.
"So to me, in the final analysis, what will determine third term here (National Assembly) largely depends on what the people back home want."

As at the time of filing this story, Daily Sun gathered authoritatively that as at last count, all the three senators from Bauchi have enlisted into the fold of the anti-third term, even though their governor is said to be a pro-third term.



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