After 78 days of political paralysis, a solution to the lingering controversy over the power vacuum in the presidency is likely today as the Senate discuss the process of transferring powers to Vice President Goodluck Jonathan.
Today, in our nation’s capital, Abuja, the Senators will meet to decide on what to do to lift Nigeria out of the political debacle that President Umaru Yar’Adua’s absence has thrown the country into.
The Senate reconvenes to vote on a motion that would empower Mr. Jonathan to act as the president nearly three months after Mr. Yar’Adua left the country for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia. Today’s session comes a week after the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) urged the senators to suspend their agitation to enable the party resolve the controversy within seven days, which expires today.
Last week, state governors who took the unprecedented step of calling Mr. Jonathan ‘Acting President’ said they would be visiting the National Assembly to urge the lawmakers to accept the court verdict which granted the Vice President powers to act in the President’s absence.
NEXT learnt that the Senate is eager to give the impression of transparency and the Senate President, David Mark, has therefore invited the Nigeria Television Authority to give live coverage to the debate and the governors’ visit.
Labour also threatens
Also unions affiliated to the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) will be meeting to declare their stance on Mr. Yar’Adua’s absence, later in the week.
“The NLC cannot just make a decision without following due process as the body comprises of many union members,” said Denja Yaqub, its assistant general secretary in a telephone interview.
“That does not mean we do not have a stance on the issue but in our own case, having a position among the members is not an individualist one since we are a standardised organisation with different organs, councils and committees which have to meet before making any collective decision.”
Mr. Yaqub was responding to the accusation that labour had left it too late before reacting.
Outcome of negotiations
According to a party official, the motion in the Senate was the outcome of week-long negotiations between many interest groups which included PDP members, governors, and lawmakers - wherever they stand on the issue of power transfer to Mr. Jonathan.
“We asked for time believing the party can get everyone to act properly in the interest of the peace and the party,” the PDP official said.
The motion which is scripted in the manner in which the state governors have lobbied is expected to receive the vote of the majority of the Senators. The governors are expected to witness the voting process which they hope will validate their one week effort to find a political solution to the crisis.
Lawyers however fear that having Mr. Jonathan become acting president through such a process, may bring him and the decision under intense legal scrutiny. They point to the fact that such a motion by lawmakers is usually no more than a piece of advice and bears no compulsion of compliance.
“I think the resolution alone cannot do that,” said Bon Nwakama, a lawyer.
“The Senate did the right thing by asking for the letter. If the letter failed to come, they can move against the president as disobedience and can impeach him,”
Mr. Nwakama, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the decision “will be very debatable because it lacks the force of law.”
Senators do not, as a rule discuss these issues openly. In the last few days, the lawmakers have become more secretive and refuse to discuss the chamber’s possible approach to the matter especially as it concerns the extra-legal questions that may arise.
The Senators say they fear discussing the plans will “pre-empt” today’s attempt at arresting the constitutional drift that has gone on for almost three months now.
“Let’s all wait and see, there is nothing to talk about for now,” a senator believed to be in support of the decision to override Mr. Yar’adua, said in an interview yesterday.
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