Highly concerned by the vacuum in governance created by the prolonged absence of President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua, for 60 days, without empowering his Vice to act in his absence as expected in the Presidential System of government;
Conscious of the antics of Presidential handlers and anti-democratic elements acting as a cabal that has taken over the reign of executive decisions;
Determined to oppose the political and constitutional manipulations aimed at the sectional and undemocratic control of the sovereignty of the Nigerian people by a cabal without their consent and the approval of the Parliament;
Further determined to oppose the sinister project which if allowed could prolong the vacuum with obvious repercussions on Nigeria’s democracy and political stability in the region;
Participants at the Centre for Democracy and Development Panel discussion at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja on the 22nd of January, 2010 note as follows:
1. That the President left the country without transmitting power as envisaged by the Constitution to the Vice President. That the President has been away from the seat of power for 60 days.
2. Since the President’s departure, there has been no medical bulletin on the President, generating concerns whether he is in charge. The Vice President has not been empowered to act and governance is in a state of flux. The Justice Abutu judgment has further complicated the state of flux by stating the Vice President can perform but cannot act for the President.
3. The image of a country without governance has created international concerns about a drift towards a failed state that prompted the listing of Nigeria on Terrorist Watch List by the American government following the Mutallab bomb attempt.
Our Concerns
1. A cabal of unelected persons have successfully plotted against and subverted the 1999 Constitution and thereby creating a serious threat to our democracy.
2. That the National Assembly has failed to exercise its oversight responsibility to ensure Nigeria is being governed constitutionally. In addition, they have not insisted on the Nigerian people being regularly briefed about the health conditions of the President.
3. The PDP as the ruling party has failed to show leadership in the resolution of the crisis provoked by the political impasse.
4. The Justice Abutu judgement has further created conditions for an unelected cabal to continue to run the affairs of state.
5. The absence of the President is impacting on our capacity to exercise our leadership role at the regional and international level as exemplified by repeated postponement of the ECOWAS Summit of Head of States and Governments, of which he is Chairman.
Declaration
The activities of the cabal should be combated by all democratic forces in Nigeria. They must not be allowed to endanger the peace, good governance and democracy in Nigeria.
Constituted authority should immediately begin to issue daily health bulletins on the condition of the President.
The Judiciary as a third arm of government should live up to the expectation of protecting and upholding the constitution of Nigeria.
The President in conformity with the requirement and spirit of Section 145 of the Constitution, and in pursuance of national interest should immediately transmit a letter to the National Assembly, enabling the Vice President to Act in his absence.
Call for Action
1. Given the serious threat to the corporate existence of Nigeria as a nation, and to our democratic process, we call on all stakeholders to intensify all ongoing action aimed at returning our country to constitutionality and legality.
2. The Executive Council should fulfil their constitutional obligations and initiate the process of transmitting a letter to the National Assembly in the national interest to end current political impasse
3. The National Assembly should fulfil its obligations under section 144 and in concert with the Executive Council initiate the process of ending the current vacuum
4. The Police and other law enforcement agencies to sustain their constitutional role of protecting citizens during protest marches and maintaining law and order
5. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the ruling party should demonstrate leadership to end the current political impasse by calling its members in the Executive Council and National Assembly to act in national interest. Other political parties should show statesmanship and ensure that the focus of their activities in the current situation is in national interest.
6. Civil society should build critical alliances at local, state and national level towards effective coordination for breaking the current political impasse and returning Nigeria to political legality
7. The Media should amplify ongoing struggles to return Nigeria to constitutional democracy.
8. Nigerians should abhor all sentiments, ethnic, religious and sectional in resolution of the political impasse.
Done in Abuja this 22nd Day of January, 2010
Jibrin Ibrahim
Director
Centre for Democracy and Development
Prof.Oumar Ndongo
Secretary General
West Africa Civil Society Forum
Ayokunle Fagbemi
Executive Director
Centre for Peace Building and Socio-Economic Development
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