By Tunji Thomas - 07.01.2007

The world’s most powerful nation, the United States, has intervened in the on-going war between President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar, warning President Obasanjo to desist from alleged plans to arrest Abubakar when he returns to Nigeria next week.

Speculations are rife in political circles that President Obasanjo is prepared to order the arrest of his vice when he returns to Nigeria, as scheduled. Presidential spokesman, Uba Sani, had, on behalf of the presidency, declared the vice president’s seat “vacant”, subsequent upon which Abubakar wrote the heads of the National Assembly and the judiciary. Only last week, in his attempt to clarify the position of the presidency which had been described by top lawyers as “unconstitutional”, another presidential spokesman, Akin Osuntokun, had reportedly claimed during an appearance on the NTA that the presidency did not declare the VP’s office vacant, but rather that the “vacancy” was occasioned by the VP’s defection from the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and his subsequent adoption as the presidential candidate of the Action Congress (AC). However, Osuntokun came out later to disclaim the statement insisting that he affirmed the VP’s office.

Sunday Tribune gat-hered from sources in Abuja and the United States that the warning was handed over to the president in “diplomatic language”. A senior official of the State Department was said to have expressed America’s displeasure with rising political tension in Nigeria, particularly in the context of the coming elections in 2007. The American official, according to our sources, told the Nigerian government that the US expects that the president will follow the due process and allow the rule of law to reign. In this context, it was “mentioned” that the US expects that since the constitutionally prescribed process of the impeachment of the vice president is yet to be followed, the US will expect that the VP will be treated “with due regard to his position and office” when he returns home.

The same sentiments were said to have been expressed by a ranking official of the United Nations to the Nigerian Mission to the UN and the presidency. However, when Sunday Tribune contacted the Public Affairs unit of the US Embassy in Lagos, the spokesperson, Mrs. Joke Omotunde, said that the Embassy has not made any statement as regards the feud between the president and his vice and does not wish to comment on the claim that Washington has expressed concern over the feud.

I think BABA OBJ has gone too far this time around and it's time for him to retire and stop embarrassing us, Nigerians.


I'm totally sick and tired of his childish unlawful behavior.

So Bush will now throw bomb on Nigeria or what.
Come oh are they allowed to tell Nigeria what to do

Nigeria is a sovereign country,hence it can not be given instruction by some other 'democracy' that stood by and watch over a million people slaughtered in Rwanda or some world body. I read with disgust the sudden upheaval in d support 4 Atiku. Nigeria is quite capable of dealing with this dilemma. The writers of d 1999 constitution did not envisage such a dilemma whereby a sitting V.P decamps to another party and still expects 2 keep his office. Since the constitution is silent and there isn't a precedent 2 b guided by, d Nation must b very careful in d course of action we resort 2 take. Atiku has suddently become a hero while Obj is d villain. What have we become, a nation that has no shame? A Obj might b a dictator, Atiku is definitely a CROSSTITUTE and crosstitutes must not be allowed 2 reap d benefits of d office they occupy b4 carpet-crossing. Atiku should do the honourable thing by resigning else he'll b thrown out. Carpet crossing should not b encouraged. Nigeria is greater than any individual or group of persons.[color=#006600][/color]

Nigeria is a sovereign country,hence it can not be given instruction by some other 'democracy' that stood by and watch over a million people slaughtered in Rwanda or some world body. I read with disgust the sudden upheaval in d support 4 Atiku. Nigeria is quite capable of dealing with this dilemma. The writers of d 1999 constitution did not envisage such a dilemma whereby a sitting V.P decamps to another party and still expects 2 keep his office. Since the constitution is silent and there isn't a precedent 2 b guided by, d Nation must b very careful in d course of action we resort 2 take. Atiku has suddently become a hero while Obj is d villain. What have we become, a nation that has no shame? A Obj might b a dictator, Atiku is definitely a CROSSTITUTE and crosstitutes must not be allowed 2 reap d benefits of d office they occupy b4 carpet-crossing. Atiku should do the honourable thing by resigning else he'll b thrown out. Carpet crossing should not b encouraged. Nigeria is greater than any individual or group of persons.[color=#006600][/color]

Nigeria is a sovereign country,hence it can not be given instruction by some other 'democracy' that stood by and watch over a million people slaughtered in Rwanda or some world body. I read with disgust the sudden upheaval in d support 4 Atiku. Nigeria is quite capable of dealing with this dilemma. The writers of d 1999 constitution did not envisage such a dilemma whereby a sitting V.P decamps to another party and still expects 2 keep his office. Since the constitution is silent and there isn't a precedent 2 b guided by, d Nation must b very careful in d course of action we resort 2 take. Atiku has suddently become a hero while Obj is d villain. What have we become, a nation that has no shame? A Obj might b a dictator, Atiku is definitely a CROSSTITUTE and crosstitutes must not be allowed 2 reap d benefits of d office they occupy b4 carpet-crossing. Atiku should do the honourable thing by resigning else he'll b thrown out. Carpet crossing should not b encouraged. Nigeria is greater than any individual or group of persons.[color=#006600][/color]

Nigeria is a sovereign country,hence it can not be given instruction by some other 'democracy' that stood by and watch over a million people slaughtered in Rwanda or some world body. I read with disgust the sudden upheaval in d support 4 Atiku. Nigeria is quite capable of dealing with this dilemma. The writers of d 1999 constitution did not envisage such a dilemma whereby a sitting V.P decamps to another party and still expects 2 keep his office. Since the constitution is silent and there isn't a precedent 2 b guided by, d Nation must b very careful in d course of action we resort 2 take. Atiku has suddently become a hero while Obj is d villain. What have we become, a nation that has no shame? A Obj might b a dictator, Atiku is definitely a CROSSTITUTE and crosstitutes must not be allowed 2 reap d benefits of d office they occupy b4 carpet-crossing. Atiku should do the honourable thing by resigning else he'll b thrown out. Carpet crossing should not b encouraged. Nigeria is greater than any individual or group of persons.[color=#006600][/color]

well what do you expect when our leader is a slowpoke and acts like a vagabond? anyway ppl are saying why is US interfering? well looks like we may be on thier list of axis of evil too, God help us, these stupid leaders we have will make us fall prey to the greedy so called democrats-----watch they are just waiting for an excuse , any bleeding excuse. I am so ashamed of OBJ

Bush is no better either, he is trying to deploy 30,000 more troops in Iraq to the chagrin of everyone else including The Legislature led by the democrats and the US Army. In fact the whole world is against it. I think Bush has so many failures in his government to worry about than to meddle into our polity.

If Atiku likes he should go and strike a deal with George Bush to syphone oil however he is only waisting his time because the US and UN will not preside over our election. Nigeria is a sovereignty which has choice of relations with US and UN. They have been of no use to us so to hell with them.