ALL appears set for the transfer of power to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan in acting capacity this week, as indications have emerged that the Senate plans
to pass a motion tomorrow to empower the vice-president as acting president.
Sources in the Senate told the Nigerian Tribune that the leadership of the upper chamber appeared to have accepted the position of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), which advised the lawmakers to pass a resolution empowering the vice-president as acting president.
A delegation of the NGF had met with the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives after the forum’s meeting on Thursday in Abuja.
It was gathered that the Senate leadership had concluded on the motion to facilitate the transfer of power to the vice-president.
According to sources, the lawmakers had resolved that since the 1999 Constitution did not envisage a situation where a president would be sick to the extent that he could not transmit a letter to the National Assembly in line with section 145, the Senate had to practically empower the vice-president through a motion, which is one of the instruments by which it exercises legislative powers.
A source said that the lawmakers had decided to rely on the interview granted to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) by the president as an evidence of his temporary incapacitation and a clear indication that he was not in a position to transmit the required letter.
Flowing from that, the lawmakers are to pass a resolution that since the president had stated that he was temporarily incapacitated by his health condition, the vice-president should assume his duties as acting president, pending the return of the president.
The motion, it was gathered, would ensure that the leadership truncates the impeachment motion being planned by members of the National Interest Group(NIG), the group that facilitated the passage of the motion calling on President Yar’Adua to transmit a letter of vacation to the National Assembly on January 27.
It was learnt that the NIG had concluded that the silence from the president’s camp since the passage of that motion could be taken to mean a rejection of the motion, and then an affront to the powers of the legislature, which would warrant impeachment moves.
Expect drama at Wednesday’s FEC-Ministers
Meanwhile, Sources on Sunday revealed that the crack in the Federal Executive council (FEC) has widened following the submission of the memo calling on President Yar’Adua to step down by the Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili.
Some ministers told the Nigerian Tribune to expect a dramatic turn on Wednesday, as many of them are now resolved to back the memo submitted by the Information Minister.
It was also gathered that the ministers were preparing the ground for them to be briefed on a weekly basis on the state of the president’s health henceforth.
“It is bad enough that no minister has heard from or about the president in the last 77 days. That should not continue,” one of the sources said.
One of those who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune said the FEC meeting of Wednesday would be decisive.
It was gathered that some young professionals in the cabinet were unhappy with the label of power hungry men being placed on them by Nigerians.
“We are set to debate, boldly and frankly, the state of the president’s health and we are battle-ready for the discussion on the president’s future,” said a source on Sunday.
Another source added that the ministers had tried to be patient and understanding, but “stupidly loyal” so far by considering the sensitivities and sensibilities of the Nigerian nation but many of the ministers were determined to “resolve or dissolve” on February 10.
“They (the ministers) will insist that power be handed over to the vice-president to stem the tide of polarisation and drift in the country.
“A good number of the ministers have grouped themselves together and they have resolved to fully support the memo by the Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Akunyili, and the call by the NGF that power should be transferred to Vice-President Jonathan,” another source said.
One of the ministers insisted, on Sunday, that the reputation of many of them was at stake and they would not be doing the integrity of President Yar’Adua any good if they portrayed him as someone who was ready to cling to power at all cost.
“We are concerned that our hard-earned reputation, character, ethical standing and moral uprightness are being questioned by this conspiracy of silence. This Wednesday will mark the beginning of the real drama to save our beloved country,” the source said.
Another source said while Professor Akunyili’s memo was being seen by some as self-serving, they had, nevertheless, resolved to back the memo in the interest of Nigeria.
He further said the ministers had delayed action so far, not because they wanted to cling to their posts but as a mark of respect for the leadership of the PDP and the party’s Board of Trustees (BOT).
Another source said at Wednesday’s FEC sitting, each member would stand up to his or her conscience and everyone would contribute accordingly.
“It is not a group thing anymore,” a source said, adding that those pushing for the transfer of power in the council cut across tribal and religious affiliations.
Aondoakaa Moves against FEC members
Just as a group of ministers are warming up for a stormy session on Wednesday, sources have disclosed that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Mike Aondoakaa, is perfecting strategies to stall the debate of the memo submitted by Akunyili.
It was gathered that the AGF had compiled all cases relating to the president’s health and had resolved to argue that the matter was subjudice and that it would be wrong for the FEC to debate the issue.
Another source, however, said the pro-constitution ministers were preparing for the showdown and were also compiling arguments to counter the legalistic excuse.
Why N/Assembly, PDP officials fear Jonathan
More facts also emerged, at the weekend, that the fear of a revised zoning formula among some top officials of the National Assembly and the leadership of the PDP had, so far, informed their opposition to the emergence of Vice-President Jonathan as acting president.
Sources said this category of politicians was of the view that there was only a thin line between the acting presidency and the full presidency and that if Jonathan eventually emerged, the party would immediately reverse the current zoning arrangement.
“If a southerner eventually emerges as the president, especially if it becomes apparent that President Yar’Adua can no longer continue in office, the zoning arrangements have to be reworked as far as some positions are concerned,” the sources said.
The position of the national chairman of the PDP, which for now is occupied by the South, may move to the North, while the North would have to choose between the position of the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The zoning arrangement would also affect leadership positions in the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as the distribution of positions in the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP.
Why northern politicians don’t support VP
It further emerged, at the weekend, that some northern politicians were afraid of a Jonathan presidency because of four reasons.
One of the reasons is that the man does not owe anyone a political “I Owe You (IOU).”
A source described political IOU as any sort of commitment that would precede his emergence. It was stated that since his emergence would rely solely on fate, the North might not get any string with which to pull him if he emerged.
Another fear is that the vice-president is not a rich man, who has interests to protect anywhere.
A source summed up the four reasons thus: “Since he does not have political IOU, it is difficult to hold him down and because he is not a rich man, he may not be interested in cutting deals here and there to the extent that he can just go in there and perform and if that is the case, he would have defeated the North/South dichotomy thing.
“Nigerians can then start clamouring for us to jettison the dichotomy issue in favour of performance.”
A source said the only option left for the North if the vice-president ever emerged the president because of the state of health of President Yar’Adua was to reach out to him and extract some political IOU from him.
State Assembly Speakers back Jonathan
Meanwhile, the Conference of Speakers of Houses of Assembly in Nigeria has lent its voice to the call that the vice-president be officially recognised as the acting president, pending the return and resumption of President Yar’Adua.
The vice-president of the conference (South West), Honourable Adejare Bello, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Osogbo, Osun State, on the outcome of the recent meeting of speakers held in Abuja.
Bello said the conference considered many factors, including guarding against official vacuum in the presidency.
According to him, the recent meeting, which was presided over by the chairman of the conference, Honourable Istifanus Gbana, felt that it was in the interest of the corporate image of Nigeria that Vice-President Jonathan be officially recognised as acting president.
Govs to meet Bankole, Mark
Also, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum is set to meet with the leadership of the National Assembly before the middle of this week.
According to the Nigerian Tribune findings, the purpose of the visit was to impress it on both the Senate and House of Representatives leadership and members to commence a process that would lead to the swearing in of Vice-President Jonathan as acting president, pending the time President Yar’ Adua would be fit to return to the country.
The chairman of the forum, Dr Bukola Saraki, who is also the governor of Kwara State, had led his colleagues to a closed door session with the vice-president at the Villa, last week, at the end of which he told newsmen covering the State House that the forum had resolved to meet with the leadership of the National Assembly on Yar’ Adua.
According to him, the forum would meet both the Senate President, David Mark and Speaker, House of Representatives, ‘Dimeji Bankole and urge them to commence a process of transferring powers to Jonathan as acting president, pending the return of President Yar’Adua.
The forum’s decision, the Nigerian Tribune gathered, was as a result of the parley it had in Abuja, last week, while reviewing the current political situation in the light of court’s pronouncements on Yar’ Adua with a view to charting the way forward.
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