Posted by By ADESINA AIYEKOTI on
Lagos lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) has dismissed the statement made by Senator David Mark that the next president of Nigeria must have a military background.
Lagos lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) has dismissed the statement made by Senator David Mark that the next president of Nigeria must have a military background.
Mark, a retired soldier and former minister had argued, last weekend, that anyone without military training should not be allowed to preside over the affairs of the country, contending that civilians 'don't have the requisite training."
Speaking in an interview with Daily Sun on Monday, Chief Fawehinmi, however, described Mark's position as 'absolute nonsense."
'David Mark is talking nonsense. Nigeria has been held hostage by ex-military leaders. We must remove the bondage in 2007. Nigeria needs a clear visioned civilian leader.
We have been victims of military misgovernance. 'We were misgoverned by Olusegun Obasanjo from 1976 to 1979 and now, we are being misgoverned by Olusegun Obasanjo from May 1999 to now," the Lagos lawyer alleged.
Fawehinmi noted that ex-military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, 'misgoverned (the country) for eight years and then truncated the freest and fairest election in 1993. His regime was noted for high handedness and corruption.
'For David Mark to tell us that the next president must have a military background, he is talking absolute nonsense," Fawehinmi stressed.
The notable lawyer called on Nigerians to fight and resist any move to bring in any ex-military dictatorship in 2007.