Mr. President, plans to send a bill to the National Assembly for a single six (6) year term for President and governors was yesterday criticized by opposition parties.
In unison, they argued that the plan is deceptive, fraudulent and an attempt at tenure elongation by Mr. President
Mr. President had said that he will not benefit from the proposed constitution amendment whose implementation would begin in 2015
The country currently operates a four-year tenure that could extend to a second term. Elected officers have often turned the aspiration for a second term to a do-or-die affair which brings with it sad memories. The papers were awash with President Jonathan’s proposal yesterday.
Reacting to the proposed tenure, Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) condemned the plan, which it termed ‘reckless move’ by the President ‘not only to divert the attention of Nigerians from the looting going on in the land under his watch or railroad Nigerians into forum shopping; but to elongate his tenure through the back door’.
In a statement issued in Enugu yesterday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Osita Okechukwu, the CNPP said: “We cannot remember when President Jonathan canvassed tenure elongation during his presidential campaign and cannot locate how the extension of tenure will improve the welfare or security of Nigerians who today are groaning under the yoke of functioning anarchy, which is sliding dangerously into a failed state.
“It is highly regrettable and a pity that President Jonathan, rather than submitting an executive bill to alter the Constitution from unitary system of government to true federalism; a centre which is too heavy, indolent and corrupt; is submitting a bill on tenure elongation aimed at self-glorification.
“If President Jonathan is truly committed to free and fair elections he could have submitted an executive bill which will incorporate the core recommendations of the Uwais Electoral Reform Committee Report in the Constitution; rather a tepid attempt to extend his tenure”, it said. The statement noted that the bill to elongate the tenure of the Office of the President and Governors from all indication “is not only in bad faith, inconsequential, diversionary; but has exposed the perfidy of the Jonathan regime.
“Finally, CNPP is of the candid view that seven to 10 years tenure cannot prevent ‘food-is-ready’ politicians from do-or-die political culture, rigging the elections and foisting surrogates on the electorate; unless the Constitution is amended to allow for the core recommendations of the Uwais Electoral Reform Committee.
Also reacting, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) described the plan as fraudulent, deceptive and a misadventure.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Ibadan, yesterday, the party said the plan also ‘confirms the fears that this President enjoys power for the sake of it, instead of using it to the benefit of Nigerians’. It said the single tenure project is fraudulent because President Jonathan never for once promised Nigerians, during his campaign, that it would be his priority project once elected into office, adding that the issue was also not known to be in the manifesto of his party, the PDP.
The ACN said the project “is also self-serving because, despite the deceptive proviso that President Jonathan will not benefit from it, there is nothing in the Constitution that bars him from seeking another term in 2015 and, in any case, he has not told anyone that he will not run again after his current tenure. “This is nothing but tenure elongation by subterfuge and it is worse than the Third Term misadventure of his godfather. All it takes for the proviso, inserted to hoodwink gullible people, to be knocked off is for anyone to seek a declarative court ruling that he (President Jonathan) is indeed qualified to seek another term. After all, he did not go that far to disown his party’s zoning principle, which he signed on to”,’ the party said.
The ACN is worried that the ill-conceived project could prove to be a divisive issue, further threatening the country’s fragile unity, which took some beating by the President’s volte-face on zoning in the PDP.
”Much as most Nigerians are shocked by President Jonathan’s plan, we are sure it did not come to them as a total surprise, because it is in line with his style since assuming office. After the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua and his (President Jonathan’s) ascension to office, he cannot be remembered for anything beyond stoking the fire of zoning or no zoning, which burned brightly until he was elected President.
“Now, three months after he promised Nigerians heaven and earth in his inauguration speech, but delivered nothing, while Nigerians are daily being subjected to hellish living, all he has come up with is a bill to amend the Constitution so the President and state governors can serve only one term. How is this issue more important than taking measures to grow our moribund economy; or to ensure that millions of our jobless youths are gainfully employed?
“How does this check the widespread insecurity of lives and property in the land, especially in areas under the stranglehold of Boko Haram? How are the so-called merits of the plan, which its promoters said include checking the acrimony that accompanies re-election campaign, more important than making kerosene, diesel and aviation fuel abundantly available to slash the rising costs? How does this project turn around the appalling state of our infrastructure? And how does it check the spiralling exchange rate of the Naira to the major currencies, with its bandwagon effects?
“We therefore, urge all Nigerians to reject this evil project instead of playing the game of President Jonathan and his cohorts, who simply want to use the ensuing debate to divert attention from the worsening standard of living of Nigerians and the bad governance to which they have been subjected by to most elected officials in the over 12 years of democratic rule,’’ it said.
The All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP), however, urged the President and the National Assembly to put the interest of the nation above every other consideration.
Reacting to the proposed executive bill on single term, in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, the party said Nigerians would resist any attempt by anybody to manipulate the process for his own gain.
“Our great party has taken notice of the reported intention of Mr. President to forward a bill to the National Assembly proposing the amendment of the Constitution to limit the tenure of Office of the President and Governors to a single term of six years. We have also taken cognizance of the effective date of the year 2015 for the amendment, if passed and assented to, to become effective.
“The experience of the recent past in similar efforts in this regard should remind all true patriots that Nigerians will resist any attempt to manipulate the constitutional amendment process to further any hidden agenda.
“We call on all our members in the National Assembly to remain vigilant. We assure all Nigerians that our great party is carefully studying developments in this regard. In due course, our National Chairman will speak on this issue as events unfold”, the statement, signed by Emma Eneukwu, National Publicity Secretary of the party said.
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