Bludeville:

Oh yes! Let's all applaud her. After 72 days she suddenly remembers that she's the minister of (mis)information and communication. She was a part of the lie in the first place, i remember her dry voice telling nigerians that the president has acute pericarditis, and i know she knew the truth all along. what made her suddenly change her mind? I don't know about y'all but the fool lady don't fool me, never have, never will.

Ujujoan:

^^^ Don't be silly, he's not just sick. He's incapacitated.

Just because no medical personnel has declared him unfit dosent mean he isn't. She didn't defy the constitution by asking for Yar Adead to resign. People like you are the ones twisting the constitution to suit them.

You are on nobody's side? Dosen't look that way to me! And please when you say the word 'Democracy' . . I shiver! If this is Democracy, the we are ruined!

Dede1:

I can not believe that well read fellow such as Dora Akumyili would utter such nonsensical crap as urging the sick President to hand over power to VP knowing fully well about the detects of section 145 of Nigerian constitution. The so-called Nigerian democracy must be one govern by the constitution not sectional sentiments. There is nothing in the constitution that stipulated that somebody had to call or urge visibly incapacitated president to write a letter to the senate that would allow the vice president to assume the powers of the presidency. If the alleged article that credited Dora Akumyili as calling on the president to hand over power to VP is valid, then the lady has no place in the corridor of democracy.

When Reagan was shot, one of president’s cabinet ministers was fired for just stating that “I am in charge “. Dora Akumyili should be fired for assuming the responsibilities of the constitution. Even when the president is certified dead, there are constitutional rites to perform in order to pave the way for VP to become president. It is very disgraceful to read the political shenanigans from Dora Akumyili. If Goodluck Jonathan feels that it is constitutionally okay to call the sick President to commit a letter of handover of power to him, he should be the one calling on the President to do so.

I am neither the fan of the president nor a supporter of Nigeria but believe in a democracy that is judiciously guided by the constitution. With so many Nigerians calling on the sick president to resign, I have adjudged that the so-called Nigerians have no place in steering democratic state.

Ujujoan:

The Persident is dead already and I don't need to be his physician to know that! Jeez I can't believe you . .

Dede1:

I can not believe that well read fellow such as Dora Akumyili would utter such nonsensical crap as urging the sick President to hand over power to VP knowing fully well about the detects of section 145 of Nigerian constitution. The so-called Nigerian democracy must be one govern by the constitution not sectional sentiments. There is nothing in the constitution that stipulated that somebody had to call or urge visibly incapacitated president to write a letter to the senate that would allow the vice president to assume the powers of the presidency. If the alleged article that credited Dora Akumyili as calling on the president to hand over power to VP is valid, then the lady has no place in the corridor of democracy.

When Reagan was shot, one of president’s cabinet ministers was fired for just stating that “I am in charge “. Dora Akumyili should be fired for assuming the responsibilities of the constitution. Even when the president is certified dead, there are constitutional rites to perform in order to pave the way for VP to become president. It is very disgraceful to read the political shenanigans from Dora Akumyili. If Goodluck Jonathan feels that it is constitutionally okay to call the sick President to commit a letter of handover of power to him, he should be the one calling on the President to do so.

I am neither the fan of the president nor a supporter of Nigeria but believe in a democracy that is judiciously guided by the constitution. With so many Nigerians calling on the sick president to resign, I have adjudged that the so-called Nigerians have no place in steering democratic state.

edoyad:

Dede your ignorance is the stuff of legends. Show me a precedent of a country where a president leaves his country for treatment without someone in acting capacity ? Common sense dictates that the man who has sworn to protect the sovereignty adhere to such simple rules. Even the useless state governors we have usually leave somebody in acting capacity when they travel our for not so brief periods. You think 140 million Nigerians are illiterates like the people he governed before becoming president ?
I'm happy the docile house of reps has started debating amendment to ensure no fo.ol abuses our laws again.

Ujujoan:

@ Dede 1

If the President were my father, I'll beg him to resign. Because he's making a mockery of democracy, he's abusing power and he's killing himself even more.

Sentiments aside, this country dosen't need a man who cannot even hold a coherent telephone conversation now. This is a ccritical time and the President has shown that he's too sick to manage it! It's going to four months now and he has abandoned he's job without any apology or regards for the people who put him in power. People rule from sick beds and forgive me for calling you silly, but you shd know Yar Adua's not doing that because he CANT.

He's causing more harm alive than dead. It's better he dies than hold the whole country @ ransom like this!

BTW my dad's dead. Thank you for reminding me!

Dede1:

Do not waste your energy in calling the sick or dead president ugly names. But I would advise you to call for the amendment of the section 145 of Nigeria constitution in order to accommodate means by which power could be transferred to VP when sick President is in a state of incapacitation.

mikeansy:

You are obviously more ridiculous than Dora Akunyili.

She did not publicly ask Yar'adua to step down. She only called her colleagues to face up to the reality of now by allowing the constitution to take its full course.

Just like the President, Dora Akunyili swore an oath to defend the constitution and if she is convinced that the FEC is not getting quality advice in line with the constitution, she has a duty to advice accordingly.

You just need to stop reading the constitution selectively.
I am also disappointed at Jonathan and the truth is if Dora was my mother or sister I will advice her against doing the right thing because if the country is not ready to make progress there is nothing one person can do. Jonathan is the biggest culprit in all this. However that is not to say Dora did anything wrong!!!!

145. Whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary such functions shall be discharged by the Vice-President as Acting President.

1. (1) This Constitution is supreme and its provisions shall have binding force on the authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

mikeansy:

Absolute rubish!!!!

Section 145 of the constitution is sufficient for Yar'adua to do the right thing or get impeached for gross misconduct. There is no need whatsoever to amend the constitution.

There is something called the LETTER and SPIRIT of the law. Those who wrote the constitution would have reasoned that we will have a President rational enough and who love the country enough to know that when he is not available to discharge his duties he will inform the National Assembly so that the business of Government will be taken care of by others.
They will not immagine that we will have a President so selfish as to exploit technicalities is semantics to refuse to obey the law. Are you suggesting that some aspects of our constitution are written so that the President can choose to ignore it if he so pleases? Need I remind you of section 1 of the Nigerian Constitution which makes the constitution binding on all Nigerian citizens and authorities alike?

This is a shame of a Nation. Yar'adua swore an oath to defend our constitution, he should not be looking for loopholes in language to disobey it. Those who wrote section 145 did not expect the President of a Nation to put the country at risk by not handing over when he is on medical leave.

Dede1:

Who could be more ridiculous than you my pal? I neither wrote the article nor created the thread on the issue of alleged Dora Akumyili’s statements in the FEC meeting. I have stated clearly in my post that if the alleged statement credited to Dora is to be correct, the lady minister does not have a place in the corridor of democracy.

Granted the president is sick and incapacitated that he could not neither write nor detect a memo of transfer of power to VP, there not much to do than to wait until president is no longer with us. If democracy meant anything to so-called Nigerians, the best approach is to mount pressure on constitutional amendment to the provisions of section 145 of Nigerian constitution.

144. (1) The President or Vice-President shall cease to hold office, if -

(a) by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of all the members of the executive council of the Federation it is declared that the President or Vice-President is incapable of discharging the functions of his office; and

Ujujoan:

@ Dede

you even admit that the president is incapacitated! Just because they've refused to allow a medical personnel to say that dosen't change the fact. As far I'm concerned, the constitution dosen't need ammendment. The president is the one breaking the law and he should not only be impeached, but tried for treason!