One of the first persons to cheer the defeat of President Olusegun Obasanjo's third term agenda at the Senate is Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. He said, “By today, we definitely know that the third term agenda is dead...We have enough votes to block the third term agenda and it is also a blessing for Nigerians.
Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in Abuja said the outcome of the debate at the National Assembly had set the tone for the end of the third term agenda.
Abubakar, who spoke at the 60th birthday of the former Minister of Inter-Governmental Affairs, Chief Yomi Edu, said the struggle for the enthronement of democracy had begun with about 42 senators speaking against third term.
“The struggle for the enthronement of democracy has virtually started today, and it is not by coincidence that we are celebrating a reliable politician’s birthday today.”
Abubakar, who described some politicians as unreliable, said he was happy with the political track record of Edu.
“Nowadays, politicians are very untrustworthy and unreliable; but that is not Yomi Edu.”
Speaking in the same vein, the Governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Kalu, said he would soon prove that the Presidency actually bribed some senators with N50million and that the photograph of the money would soon be displayed on the floor of the Senate.
He said, “When I said three and a half years ago that Obasanjo was looking for a third term, nobody believed me, including Mr. Vice-President. If I die today, I have not died young. After all, Jesus lived for 33 years and Mohammed died about the same age. If anybody needed tenure elongation it should have been these two prophets. So I want all democrats to stand up and be counted.
“I have one member of the House of Representatives and a senator who collected the N50million bribe and I was in Abuja last week to witness it. I also have the photograph and they would soon lay it at the National Assembly. It is despicable, because this is a man that preaches against corruption.”
The Adamawa State Governor, Mr. Boni Haruna, urged Nigerians to be prepared for the fallout of what happened on the floor of the Senate on Thursday.
He added that Edu’s birthday was symbolic and would mark the end of tyranny.
Others who spoke were a former Minister of Finance, Alhaji Adamu Ciroma, and a former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Gambo Jimeta, who said it was shocking that an elected President would insist on not leaving in spite of the constitution.
Gambo said, “We can celebrate today because we have defeated dictatorship through the National Assembly. A situation where some people will come brazenly that they are ready to go, and are ready to set apart all the rules that have been made is not acceptable.
“Now that we are sure that we have defeated third term agenda, all democrats must stand up and be counted.”
Date: 2006/5/12
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