Posted by Abiodun Adelaja, Abuja and John Shiklam, Kaduna on
House of Representatives yesterday declared that it will not support the rumoured plans for the establishment of Interim National Government....
House of Representatives yesterday declared that it will not support the rumoured plans for the establishment of Interim National Government (ING) to succeed President Olusegun Obasanjo describing it as unconstitutional and unnecessary.
Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Ita Enang stated this while fielding questions from newsmen in Abuja, ahead of the House's scheduled resumption today after a seven-week long vacation.
Similarly, human rights' activist and Professor of Political Science at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Prof. Abubakar Sadiq has raised fresh alarm over plans to ensure that elections will not hold in 2007 to pave way for President Obasanjo to remain in power.
Prof. Sadiq who spoke on Monday in Kaduna at a workshop on "Election mandate protection" organized by Global Rights Nigeria noted that although the third term plot of the President was killed and buried, there are strong indications that the President is not done yet with the plot to perpetrate himself in power.
According to him, there are several indications that the 2007 election may not hold because "the power that be are still bent at achieving tenure elongation."
The House Committee chairman whose committee serves as gate-keeper on bills and other official correspondence with the lower chamber stressed that it was wrong for anyone to contemplate establishment of interim government when there is no provision for such in the constitution.
For ING to be in place, the federal lawmaker explained that the constitution must either be amended or suspended to facilitate interim government, adding that until this is done, establishment of ING is unconstitutional.
He said since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all the registered political parties have indicated their preparedness to participate in the forthcoming 2007 general elections, it was improper for anyone to suggest the establishment of ING.
Prof. Sadiq pointed out that the bill before the National Assembly requiring that all those holding political offices should resign their positions six months to the elections excluding the president is part of the strategies for Obasanjo to remain in power if the bill sails through.
Sadiq who heads the Political Science Department of the institution also pointed that the 2007 budget being planned by the present government raises a lot of suspicion on the intention of President Obasanjo in 2007 stressing that it is not the duty of an outgoing government to make a budget for an incoming government.
He said further that the issue of an interim government, though as a rumour should be taken seriously to mean that somebody is planning for the failure of the elections.
Prof. Sadiq who spoke on Monday in Kaduna at a workshop on "election mandate protection" organized by Global Rights Nigeria, a Non governmental Organisation (NGO) noted that although the third term bid of president Obasanjo was killed and buried, he alleged however, there are many indications that the president is not done yet with the plot to perpetrate himself in power.
According to him there are several indications that the 2007 election may not hold because of the powers that be are still bent at achieving tenure elongation.
Prof. Sadig pointed out that the bill before the National Assembly requiring that all those holding political offices should resign their positions six months to elections excluding the president is part of the strategies for Obasanjo to remain in power if the bill sails through.
Sadiq who is the heads the Political Science Department of the ABU pointed out the 2007 budget being planned by the present government raises a lot of suspicion on the intention of President Obasanjo in 2007 stressing it is the business that an outgoing government should have no business making a budget for an incoming government.
He said further that the issue of an interim government that is going around, though as a rumour, should be taken seriously to mean that some body is planning for the failure of the elections.
Said he, "though third term is dead and buried, it seem to me that there are many indications that it is not dead.
"The bill before the National Assembly requiring that all elected political office holders resign their positions six months excluding the president is questionable. Why is the president exempted?
"The 2007budget is another issue. The present government should not make the 2007 budget if it is preparing to leave in 2007. The budget is the business of an incoming government.
"The governors in the states are doing everything to influence who succeeds them at all cost, there is nothing wrong with that if the successor is credible and acceptable to the people. Because of the work NGO's are doing people are becoming aware and are ready to protect their votes if anybody tries to rig or manipulate, they will resist and that may result in chaos.
"So far we don't know how many voters we have in this country, many people don't even know whether their name is in the list of voters or not."
He noted further that the judiciary is getting too close to those in power pointing out that if judges become so close to those in power it will be difficult for them to give fair and sound judgments in electoral matters.
He said the EFCC which have been threatening to screen those aspiring to contest for election does not have such powers adding that even the governors which the EFCC is threatening to arrest may be part of the plot to scuttle the 2007 election because of the security problems it will create.
" We know that many of these governors are corrupt and I support what the EFCC is doing but these governors have base and anything may happen. Whether these things are being done deliberately, we don't know" Prof. Sadiq added
Earlier, the director of Global Rights, organizers of the two day workshop, Sharon Rogers said her organization is focusing exclusively on election related issues in Africa because that is the basic foundation of democracy.
She said Global Rights is determined to ensure more credible elections in 2007.
She said the story of the elections in 2003 was not a good one saying the organization is working towards a credible elections next year.
Also speaking Senior Programme manager of Global Rights Nigeria, Mr. Febian Okoye said Nigerians must be alert to the traps and in tricks of politicians ahead of the 2007.
He said the crisis in the Niger Delta and the result o the National population census may likely become a handy tool for those who want to scuttle the elections by using them to create chaos to make it impossible for elections to hold.