Northern Elders at the National Conference have warned of a looming
anarchy, political chaos and violence should President Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan declare to contest for the 2015 Presidential elections.
The Northern delegates at the conference accused the Justice Idris Kutigi
led Conference of pushing a third term agenda for President Jonathan and
other elected officials.
Addressing Journalists in Abuja, Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum,
ACF and former Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Coomasie said the
current document which seeks to amend the constitution is aimed at a third
term for the President and others
The text read in full,
“You are welcome, and we thank you for responding to our
invitation.
Our purpose for holding this press conference is to
brief you, and through you the entire country, about the latest
developments at this crucial stage of the 2014 National Conference. As
citizens of Nigeria, we are greatly concerned about this development and
its wider implications to sustainable democracy, political stability,
peace, and development of our Country.
“The first indication that there was going to be problem was on Monday
30th June, 2014, when a front page report in a national daily (Daily
Trust) alleged that a member of the leadership of the conference had been
lobbying members of the Northern Delegation to be able to smuggle in a
“new constitution” at the conference. A delegate drew the attention of the
Conference to the publication under MATTERS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE: the
integrity of the Leadership of the Conference and it was demanded that the
Leadership should make a categorical statement on
the issue.
“The Leadership claimed ignorance of the existence of any such document
and demanded to see a copy of it. This was immediately made available, and
after going though it, the Conference Chairman made the following
statement as reflected in the Conference Hansard of Monday 30th June,
2014, on page 14:
“We know nothing about the paper in circulation. We know nothing of the
consideration of any Committee, we formed no Committee apart from the
standing Committee we set up …We are not aware of that…We have nothing to
do with it. That matter should be closed!”
“Ordinarily, the matter of a “new constitution” should have died a natural
death. But that was not to be. The issue was brought over and over again
in the course of plenary sessions, but each time it was overwhelmingly
rejected by the delegates. And when attempts were made to bring in the
issue of “referendum”, as a means of actualising the outcome of the
conference, it was always strongly and painstakingly explained that the
operating Constitution does not have any provision for such a referendum.
The only instance when a referendum can be held is in relation to the
creation of new states or boundry adjustment, per the provision of Section
8 of the CFRN 1999 (as amended).
“You are aware, by now, of the surprise, shock and disappointment with
which not only delegates to the conference, but many patriotic Nigerians,
have reacted to news of the sudden appearance of a “New Draft Constitution
2014”, among other documents distributed to delegates, when we resumed at
plenary, last Monday, August, 11, 2014.
“We, Northern Delegates to the Conference wish to assure patriotic
Nigerians, and all lovers of democracy, that we are neither privy to, nor
were we accessory to the emergence of the controversial “New Draft
Constitution 2014”. We, therefore, unequivocally disown it, and
emphatically disassociate ourselves from it. Accordingly, we will have
nothing to do with it, for the following legal, moral and political
reasons:
“(i) Delegates to the conference were not elected, and therefore lack both
legal, and moral authority to draft a new constitution for the Nigerian
Federation. Rather, we were constituted to serve as an ad hoc advisory
mechanism for to The President, as representatives of broad interests
across the federation, and cannot, therefore, legally arrogate ourselves
the far-reaching function of making a “new” constitution for the Federal
Republic of Nigeria. That can only be done by an appropriately constituted
Constituent Assembly.
(ii) The Secretariat of the Conference has indicated in chapter 7
of the draft Report Vol. 1 that the so called ‘new Constitution’ is to be
brought into effect through a national referendum to be specifically held
for the purpose. To this we say, without any fear of contradiction, that
there is no legal provision in our Constitution for the holding of such a
referendum. The reference to a referendum, made by the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria in his inauguration address at the National
Conference on 17th March 2014, was purely speculative, as it was
predicated on the National Assembly introducing a provision in the
Constitution that will permit the holding of referendum “… if at the end
of the deliberation the need for a referendum arises”. We want to say,
with authority, that such a proposal has since been turned down by the
National Assembly. Inquiries at both the Senate and House of
Representatives have since shown that efforts at tabling the case for
referendum, through private member-bills, were rejected twice, and cannot,
therefore, be reintroduced in the life of the present Senate.
(iii) From the foregoing, it is now abundantly clear that the conference
has been infiltrated by fifth-columnists whose goal is to subvert
democratic processes and plunge the country into deeper, but avoidable
political crisis.
(iv) To all intent and purposes, the introduction of a “new Constitution
2014” for Nigeria, is a calculated attempt by some people to take
advantage of Court of Appeal’s ruling in 2003, as delivered by Justice
George Adesola Oguntade, (JCA as he then was) in the celebrated case of
Attorney-General of the Federation Vs. ANPP, and Others (A.G, Fed. v.
A.N.P.P. [2003] 15 NWLR (Pt. 844). Wherein Governor Abubakar Abdu of Kogi
State (then) was challenged over his eligibility to run for a second term
in 2003, having had a first term which ended in May 2003. The contention
was that having been elected Kogi State Governor in 1991, his tenure 1991
– 1993 should be regarded as a first term and the tenure 1999 – 2003
should have been regarded as second term. Accordingly, he should stand
barred from contesting for another term in the 2003 election, as that
would amount to a violation of the subsisting Constitution, which has
provided that a person could only be elected into the office of a State
Governor for two terms and no more.
“In that decision, the Court of Appeal upheld the eligibility of Governor
Abubakar Audu of Kogi State, to stand for re-election as Governor, on the
ground that his first tenure (1991-’93) was under a completely different
Constitution (CFRN 1989), while the country was at the material time
operating the 1999 Constitution, which was a new Constitution.
“(v) Given the observation under (iv) above, adopting a new Constitution
is therefore calculated to enable incumbent elective office holders who
are statute-barred from going for 3rd Term at both Federal and State
levels, to run for offices again under the guise of running under a new
Constitution. This will also have the consequential effect of depriving
aspiring politicians from all political parties, as well as all Nigerians,
of their rights to choices and preferences as enshrined in the
constitution.
(vi) If not arrested, the 3rd Term agenda, as in the past (2005), is
capable of plunging Nigeria into another circle of political chaos with
potential of violence and anarchy.
“We, as pan-Nigerians and democrats reject this agenda, in its entirety
and call on stakeholders of all persuasions and institutions especially
political parties, national and state houses of assembly, the media, Civil
Society Organizations, faith based organisation women, youths, etc., to
reject same, and continue to champion and uphold democratic principles, as
enshrined in the constitution and other legitimate sources of law-making .
Thank you, and God bless.”