{"id":470189,"date":"2011-07-28T23:55:24","date_gmt":"2011-07-28T23:55:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/07\/28\/opposition-mounts-against-jonathan%e2%80%99s-move\/"},"modified":"2011-07-28T23:55:24","modified_gmt":"2011-07-28T23:55:24","slug":"opposition-mounts-against-jonathans-move","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/07\/28\/opposition-mounts-against-jonathans-move\/","title":{"rendered":"Opposition mounts against Jonathan\u2019s move"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

BY EMEKA MAMAH, CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, INNOCENT ANABA & OLA AJAYI
LAGOS \u2014 FOR the second day running, President Goodluck Jonathan\u2019s proposal for a single tenure for the president and governors continued to stoke the fire of controversy in the polity with the move receiving heavy knocks from some stakeholders.<\/p>\n

Among those who opposed the proposal, yesterday, were the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF; Nigerian Bar Association, NBA; National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Chief Bisi Akande; National Chairman of National Action Council, NAC,, Dr. Olapade Agoro and a human rights activist, Mr. Oghenejafor Ikhimi.<\/p>\n

ACN \u2018ll frustrate proposal \u2013 Akande
Restating ACN\u2019s opposition to the move, Akande vowed to work with other opposition parties to frustrate the plan.
Speaking at a two-day retreat of the National Working Committee of the party in Ibadan, Akande said he did not have any problem with members of his party who were in the National Assembly, noting that ACN lawmakers in both chambers would not oppose working together for the frustration of what he described as \u2018fraudulent\u2019 legislation.<\/p>\n

For Ikimi, the push would neither reduce election cost nor reduce political unrest, acrimony and desperation for power as the president thought.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

From left Chief Akin Oke Oyo state ACN Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande National Chairman ACN, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state and Senator Lawan Shuaib National Secretary ACN during a retreat organize for the National working committee of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ibadan on Thursday Pix by Dare Fasube<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

He said: \u201cI have read with disapproval the president\u2019s intention to send an executive bill to the National Assembly for a single tenure of six years for\u00a0 the president and governors of the 36 states as same is not a solution to the unrest, acrimony and the desperation for power that overheats our polity at every general election.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n

Proposal is embarrassing \u2013 Agoro
Describing the move as embarrassing in the face of deep socio- political and\u00a0 economic problems, Agoro said President Jonathan was \u201cfighting a wrong war, at a wrong time and for a wrong purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cRealistically and objectively, the tenure elongation proposal should and must not be Jonathan\u2019s priority now, with the menacing Boko Haram terrorism daily claiming lives of innocent Nigerians with reckless abandon.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not solution to our problems \u2013 ACF
In like manner, the\u00a0 ACF, criticised the proposed single tenure of six years for president and governors. National Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr. Anthony Sani, told Vanguard in a telephone interview that the solution to the myriad of problems facing the nation required those in authority to respect the sanctity of human life as well as their social contract with the people and not single or two- term tenure.<\/p>\n

Sani said: \u201cACF is yet to consider the pros and cons of the single tenure suggested by Mr. President but I am not sure if the single tenure or restructuring being bandied about are the solution to our national malaise. \u201d<\/p>\n

Constitutional amendment, not Nigerians\u2019 priority for now \u2013\u00a0 NBA
The NBA also picked holes in the proposed single tenure arrangement, saying it would not change the attitude of politicians in the country to violence, rigging and lack of internal democracy in their respective political parties.<\/p>\n

NBA President, Mr Joseph Daudu, SAN, in his address at the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the association in Katsina, said: \u201cNigerians are only interested in concrete execution of their mandate and it does not include changing the system, which brought Mr.<\/p>\n

President and his political friends into office. The new system being sought to be foisted on Nigerians is based on the presumption that politicians won\u2019t change their ways as it relates to violence, rigging, lack of internal democracy, etc all of which have been canvassed as the reason for a one term tenure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, I thought that the President had made progress in the last election in the transformation of the political psyche of Nigerians. By disavowing rigging and other forms of electoral misdemeanours, it became possible to have an election internationally recognised as free and fair, it became possible for President Jonathan to have the legitimacy to govern, which he now seeks to squander on the altar of political expediency and on the \u2018scratch my back I scratch your back\u2019 syndrome.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur president ought to build on the gains of the last election in terms of political maturity rather than proceeding on this misadventure of constitutional amendment at this stage. The quest for a one term rule will deprive the people of the services of a conscientious and indeed dedicated leader who has discharged his constitutional mandate and ruled in accordance with his oath of office but who has not completed his programme. \u201c<\/p>\n

Should such a dedicated servant of the people not be entitled to re-election and in the converse, should a non-performer be allowed to exceed 4 years? The decision on whether to reward or reject a serving politician with re-election is the exclusive preserve of the people and it cannot be taken away by a band of politicians elected by the very same people the purport to represent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe amendment proceeds as I said on the principle of an incorrigible political culture. If that is so, enforcing our laws on crimes, raising the banner of rule of law aloft,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The rest is here:
\nOpposition mounts against Jonathan\u2019s move<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BY EMEKA MAMAH, CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, INNOCENT ANABA & OLA AJAYI LAGOS \u2014 FOR the second day running, President Goodluck Jonathan\u2019s proposal for a single tenure for the president and governors continued to stoke the fire of controversy in the polity with the move receiving heavy knocks from some stakeholders. Among those who opposed the proposal, yesterday, were the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF; Nigerian Bar Association, NBA; National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Chief Bisi Akande; National Chairman of National Action Council, NAC,, Dr. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-470189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nOpposition mounts against Jonathan\u2019s move - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/07\/28\/opposition-mounts-against-jonathans-move\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Opposition mounts against Jonathan\u2019s move - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"BY EMEKA MAMAH, CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, INNOCENT ANABA & OLA AJAYI LAGOS \u2014 FOR the second day running, President Goodluck Jonathan\u2019s proposal for a single tenure for the president and governors continued to stoke the fire of controversy in the polity with the move receiving heavy knocks from some stakeholders. 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