Reps rule out tenure elongation for Jonathan

• Condemn Okrika, other attacks, demand NNPC audit report

• Decline to debate on military role in poll 

THE House of Representatives yesterday assured that it would not under any guise approve tenure elongation for President Goodluck Jonathan whose first term tenure expires on 29 May this year.

   Spokesperson of the House, Alhaji Zakari Mohammed, who briefed reporters covering the lower legislative chamber faulted the rumours making the round that most of his colleagues who could not get return tickets from their respective political platforms could buy into the idea of extending President Jonathan’s tenure by six months.

   Frowning at those peddling such rumours, Mohammed (APC, Kwara) explained that such issue was not contemplated when his colleagues broke into executive session on Wednesday, this week, with Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal presiding over affairs of the House. 

   The House also failed to debate the propriety or otherwise of the deployment of military personnel for election purposes as the motion was torpedoed on the grounds that the matter was already a subject of litigation in the Supreme Court.

   Basing its position on “purpose of accountability”, which is in compliance with the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, the House also asked the Presidency to immediately make available to it, the recent report of forensic audit of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

   In a resolution on a motion moved by a member, Robinson Uwak, the House called on the police to investigate, arrest and prosecute all those involved in the attack on the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) gubernatorial campaign rally in Okrika, Rivers State, as well as all forms of political violence across the country. 

   The Kwara APC Reps member Mohammed said, “Tenure elongation is not constitutional and it is not within the ambit of the law. We have sworn to uphold the constitution. We are a creation of the constitution but of course people are entitled to their opinion because it is something we cannot control. So for me, it was not a matter tabled before us but people are entitled to their opinions since there is nothing in people fantasizing.”

   Continuing, he said: “For us in the 7th Assembly, our tenure ends in June and we know that the president’s tenure ends in May 29. Even the president himself said May 29 is sacrosanct. The idea of tenure elongation is against good conscience.

   “Everybody contemplating that is not fair to Nigerians. We owe this country that duty to uphold the constitution so that Nigerians would not shout to high heavens when they see breaches happening. We want democracy to thrive and we want to enthrone good governance in the country.”

   Mohammed expressed support for the use of the card readers in the general elections since it was in line with global best practices to ensure a free and fair poll.

   He explained that based on the successes so far recorded by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the distribution of the permanent voters cards (PVCs), a recent resolution of the House calling on INEC to reconsider the use of the temporary voters cards was no longer tenable since it has been overtaken by event.

   Decline to debate on military role in poll 

The House failed to debate the propriety or otherwise of the deployment of military personnel for election purposes as the motion was torpedoed on the grounds that the matter was already a subject of litigation in the Supreme Court.

   House Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila had on Wednesday faulted the deployment of military personnel to polling units for election purposes in Ekiti State contrary to Section 217 of the 1999 constitution, and prayed the House “to address and look critically on whether or not the military has a role” in subsequent elections in the country.

   Gbajabiamila had expressed concern that the general elections being five weeks away, and considering the role played by military personnel in the recent postponement of the general elections in Nigeria, the Federal Government may once more deploy soldiers to election centres to intimidate innocent Nigerians if the matter is not addressed.

   However, when the motion already slated for debate came up yesterday, Karimi Sunday, via a Point of Order, prayed the House to throw it out. He predicated his argument on the grounds that the matter was a subject of appeal in the Supreme Court.

    In his intervention, the Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal urged his colleague to refrain from dwelling on the matter, which, according to him, was “sensitive”

   Tambuwal thereafter directed the Chairmen of the Committees on Rules and Business, Justice and Judiciary look into the matter and advise the House in a report to be submitted on Tuesday next week.

Specifically, the Minority Leader yesterday prayed the Chamber to investigate the role played by military personnel and any other person who featured in the said audiotape and report to the House within four days.