Nearly 200 members of the House of Representatives from the 19 Northern States would foil any plan to impeach ailing President Umaru Yar’adua or declare him medically unfit to hold his office by invoking Section 144 of the constitution, Daily Trust learnt last night.
Rep. Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi State) told Daily Trust that the MPs held a meeting in his Apo Legislators’ Quarters house in Abuja where they unanimously agreed that any attempt to invoke section 144 to declare President Yar’adua incapacitated would not be condoned by them.
Ningi said, “The clamour now is for the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to invoke section 144 of the constitution to declare the President incapacitated. But I tell you that we, the Northern members of the House would resist that attempt”.
He added, “We initially thought that with our resolution Vice President Good luck Jonathan can act as President in order to reduce the tension in the country. But we hear that some people are clamouring for the removal of the President, which we will not accept.”
According to him, the MPs would also hold another meeting “this evening (Thursday) to find a way to confront whoever is clamouring for the removal of the President”, adding that some people have brought regional sentiment into the matter.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives yesterday rejected a Bill which sought to abrogate section 144 of the constitution thereby empowering the National Assembly to declare the President incapacitated.
House deputy Chief Whip Barrister Abdullahi Waziri Tambuwal confirmed last night that a meeting was indeed held, with some 50 House members in attendance. He said more meetings would be held shortly and that the MPs would not allow any more moves against President Yar’adua beyond the resolution to declare Dr. Jonathan as acting President.
Another senior MP told Daily Trust that the reason why the Northern MPs were regrouping at this time was due to “the way the person who has been asked to act [i.e. Jonathan] is conducting himself, and also the way people around him are conducting themselves even at this early stage.” He said the MPs were particularly angry that Jonathan’s first act in office was to punish former Attorney General, now Special Duties Minister Mike Aondoaaka, but he refused to punish Information Minister Dora Akunyili for her own acts that embarrassed the government and for engaging Aondoaaka in a public exchange.
The senior MP also accused Jonathan and people around him of orchestrating last Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council [FEC] resolution to send a 6-man team to visit Yar’adua, preparatory to invoking Section 144 to declare him incapacitated. Besides, he said, they were aware that Jonathan has already concluded plans to carry out more changes and sack many officials perceived to be loyal to Yar’adua. He said the Northern MPs would stoutly resist these moves.
Chairman of the Northern caucus, Rep Terngu Tsegba (PDP, Benue State) told Daily Trust last night that “such meetings are being held regularly”, saying the one they had recently was over an issue that would protect the Northern region’s interest.
He said, “Even if the northern members met, it was over an issue. It was not on issue of forcing anybody. I don’t think anybody has canvassed for the President’s impeachment to warrant the northern members to meet”.
Also, Rep Mohammed Ali Ndume (ANPP, Borno State) said such a meeting of northern caucus is meant to fashion a way out for the region, pointing out that the one held by the MPs was not a different one.
He said the MPs are more concerned about issues that would move the region forward rather than playing politics with the President’s ill health.
The Bill is entitled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the provision of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and for other matters connected thereto”.
Leading the debate, sponsor of the Bill, Rep Femi Gbajabiamila (AC, Lagos State) said when altered, it would take away the power of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) of determining the health status of the president thereby vesting it in the National Assembly. But majority of the MPs rejected it when the question was put by Speaker Dimeji Bankole.