Nigeria's political landscape is set to witness a serious battle of some monumental dimension as the Senate has vowed not to succumb to President Goodluck Jonathan, OluFamous.Com gathered, on the amendment of the constitutional provision on tenure of office, saying it must start in 2015.

Consequently, President Jonathan’s re-election bid is now hanging in the balance...
The Senate Committee on Amendment of the 1999 Constitution have insisted that the single term proposal must begin in 2015 and not 2019.

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, told Punch in an exclusive interview that the date would not be changed. He was reacting to comments by the Political Adviser to the President, Ahmed Gulak, who was quoted as saying that the single tenure proposal was targeted at the President and first term governors.

Ekweremadu, who is the chairman of the committee, said the proposed amendment could not be targeted at Jonathan but all Nigerians, who stand to benefit.

Responding to Gulak on Tuesday, Ekweremadu said: “The argument should be: will it serve the best interest of Nigerians and help promote our democracy? Will it engender sustainability in the system?

“Let us be objective and not subject it to people’s whims and caprices. It is the people’s assessment of the recommendation that I think will help us. Once we begin to have a subjective assessment of it, we are going to run into problems.”

Also speaking, a member of the committee, Senator Adegbenga Kaka said:
“I don’t know what our problem is in this country. As early as 2011, it was President Goodluck Jonathan who first proposed a single term that would preclude him from the race. If it was proposed, and our committee included it in its proposals to the Senate, what is the issue?

“We, like most Nigerians, agree that the cost of running elections in this country is too high, what we have done is simply to say, instead of spending so much money, in fact wasting so much money on re-elections, let us do things differently.

“This money can put to better use by improving the lives of our people. We should look at the message and stop looking at the messenger."
sourcewww.olokunbolablessing..com

There is no crisis anywhere over this.
A change to the provision of the constitution is not something the senate can do without the support of the executive.

How do they intend to get 2/3 of the state assemblies to pass a constitution the president and 1st term governors are opposed to.

When GEJ proposed a single term in 2011, it was for him to spend a single term of 6 years.

What the senate are now proposing, if started in 2015, will mean GEJ will be spending a single term of 4 yrs.

The implication is that this amendment is simply aimed at stopping the 2nd term bid of GEJ and will be resisted because it infringes on the rights of the president.

ogb5: There is no crisis anywhere over this.
A change to the provision of the constitution is not something the senate can do without the support of the executive.

How do they intend to get 2/3 of the state assemblies to pass a constitution the president and 1st term governors are opposed to.

When GEJ proposed a single term in 2011, it was for him to spend a single term of 6 years.

What the senate are now proposing, if started in 2015, will mean GEJ will be spending a single term of 4 yrs.

The implication is that this amendment is simply aimed at stopping the 2nd term bid of GEJ and will be resisted because it infringes on the rights of the president.

I refuse to agree about infringing on the presidents rigth, because it that samr constitution the gave him the right, so once its amended, the amendent overrides the previous provisoin.

ogb5: There is no crisis anywhere over this.
A change to the provision of the constitution is not something the senate can do without the support of the executive.

How do they intend to get 2/3 of the state assemblies to pass a constitution the president and 1st term governors are opposed to.

When GEJ proposed a single term in 2011, it was for him to spend a single term of 6 years.

What the senate are now proposing, if started in 2015, will mean GEJ will be spending a single term of 4 yrs.

The implication is that this amendment is simply aimed at stopping the 2nd term bid of GEJ and will be resisted because it infringes on the rights of the president.

Can you stop being biased? How on earth can a constitution amendment project which was taken round the country, deliberated upon by many nigerians and their elected legislators (empowered by the constitution to change the law) be targeted at one person?! The voice of Nigerians as a whole can not be overode by 1 man, be it the president. What GEJ should be doing now is to look for a way of getting the state lagislators to strike out the part unfavourable to him. But with the way he and his PDP cohorts are kicking the governors around like school boys now, I doubt if he can achieve that since these governors have a firm grip over their states' assemblies. I guess this is the major reason why GEJ is afraid.

ogb5: There is no crisis anywhere over this.
A change to the provision of the constitution is not something the senate can do without the support of the executive.

How do they intend to get 2/3 of the state assemblies to pass a constitution the president and 1st term governors are opposed to.

When GEJ proposed a single term in 2011, it was for him to spend a single term of 6 years.

What the senate are now proposing, if started in 2015, will mean GEJ will be spending a single term of 4 yrs.

The implication is that this amendment is simply aimed at stopping the 2nd term bid of GEJ and will be resisted because it infringes on the rights of the president.

the ammendment clealy stated that incumbents cant benefit from the change.
that is if the tenure was changed during GEJ's term, he would serve just 4 yrs and not 6 yrs.

These senators are justing taking various steps that will make the country more unstable and ungovernable.
Incompetent slowpokes.

kunlekunle:

the ammendment clealy stated that incumbents cant benefit from the change.
that is if the tenure was changed during GEJ's term, he would serve just 4 yrs and not 6 yrs.

The aim to make GEJ spend only 4 yrs is the reason behind the planned amendment and it will not pass.
We spend a lot of money on our leaders as a nation, both the executive and the legislature, we do not spend that money so that the can fight themselves and bring about schemes that cause them to argue among themselves instead of serving the country.

The amendment will not pass through 2/3 of the states in the federation. You can bank on that.
A fair amendment will pass, but amendment targeting individuals will fail

I don`t support this six years tenure of a thing...it is just unnecessary.

BabaAlabi: I don`t support this six years tenure of a thing...it is just unnecessary.

If started the 6 yrs tenure will be very good for the nation. Lobbying to get votes during elections seriously compromises the elected officials since they are made to give many promises that negates the norms of public service before they are supported by the powers that be.

Anyone that is elected for a single term of 6yrs can settle down and do his job efficiently knowing that he will not be begging power brokers for a 2nd term support.

Also rotation of power between individuals will be faster thereby making power more transient. This will limit the culture of impunity among elected officials.

GEJ will end up spending 11 Yrs in Office if this bill is eventually passed. Mark my word.

naa u carry bill go...na u still dy complain...dis GEJ gan self ko ni itelorun..
and wu says it wnt av 2/3 majorityna on a long tin u dy oooo

Billyonaire: GEJ will end up spending 11 Yrs in Office if this bill is eventually passed. Mark my word.

if they passed it now, he cannot benefit from it. he's out.

First of all, this source (OluFamous.com) is something less than a reliable authority.
I personally listened to a live interview granted by Ike Ekweremadu on Thursday on Raypower's Political Platform radio programme and this question about targeted individual(s) and date of kick off was asked and he responded by saying the committee never made any recommendations about date of kick off or mentioned who benefits.
It was Jonathan that made this proposal of single tenure 1st, so if it would exclude him and he's interested he'll simply thwart it. How can he do that? When all is said and done at NASS and he couldnt have his way, he'll wait for them to submit it to his table for assenting. By the 1999 constitution he must do this not later than 30 working days from the day of submission otherwise the Assembly automatically overrides it. But if he makes just one single suggestion or correction they start all over again from 1st reading.
So what does he need to do? He'll wait till the 29th day and then send them an amendment or objection. Hopefully by this time it's already mid-2014. With the old constitution already functional. Then you know what that means.
But mind you, this noise about when the clause takes effect and who benefits from it is just been beaten by desperate opposition seeking every possible means to oust Jonathan from office. Most members of this Review Committee are PDP members so am not sure a sane man will be so highly hopeful that they would want to take that RISK of putting themselves at mercy.
I repeat, the recommendation as presented has no suggestion on take off date or who benefits.

Dont be deceived by the Political Gimmic being posed by the senate. Senate is simply playing out Goodluck's script.
He has performed soooo poorly and should Go-Away!!! He should never contest again. Corruption under Goodluck is Astronomical and he feels good about it. We need fresh new dynamic hands. Newblood that will radically change Nigeria for the better.
This Goodluck man has told you through his secretary (Asari Dokubo) that he will rather die on the sit than leave power.

1MCN: First of all, this source (OluFamous.com) is something less than a reliable authority.
I personally listened to a live interview granted by Ike Ekweremadu on Thursday on Raypower's Political Platform radio programme and this question about targeted individual(s) and date of kick off was asked and he responded by saying the committee never made any recommendations about date of kick off or mentioned who benefits.
It was Jonathan that made this proposal of single tenure 1st, so if it would exclude him and he's interested he'll simply thwart it. How can he do that? When all is said and done at NASS and he couldnt have his way, he'll wait for them to submit it to his table for assenting. By the 1999 constitution he must do this not later than 30 working days from the day of submission otherwise the Assembly automatically overrides it. But if he makes just one single suggestion or correction they start all over again from 1st reading.
So what does he need to do? He'll wait till the 29th day and then send them an amendment or objection. Hopefully by this time it's already mid-2014. With the old constitution already functional. Then you know what that means.
But mind you, this noise about when the clause takes effect and who benefits from it is just been beaten by desperate opposition seeking every possible means to oust Jonathan from office. Most members of this Review Committee are PDP members so am not sure a sane man will be so highly hopeful that they would want to take that RISK of putting themselves at mercy.
I repeat, the recommendation as presented has no suggestion on take off date or who benefits.

Dude,which constitution have u been reading?.Cos it definitely is not the CFRN 1999,as amended..
Suggesting likely areas of amendment to a bill does not preclude the NASS from overriding a presidential veto.Be well informed ere u prate such stite on a public forum as this.

story story! This is a made up controversy. Jonathan is plotting to spend 6years in office if he gets re-elected!

I think there are better things for the Senate to discuss than term limits. there is nothing wrong with the term limits as is. 4 year with potential to be relected consecutively only once is ok!

Ike Ekweremadu and co should look for something better to do.

Na wa o, na which kind six years be that, God help us in this country nigeria
http://nigerianewsdesk.com.ng

pokur:
Dude,which constitution have u been reading?.Cos it definitely is not the CFRN 1999,as amended..
Suggesting likely areas of amendment to a bill does not preclude the NASS from overriding a presidential veto.Be well informed ere u prate such a stite on a public forum as this.

I can only direct you to the clause that supports my opinion only if you'd pay for the knowledge. Just post the charge thru my email and wait for the answer in not more than 12hrs. Yes, am Igbo! If knowledge is power, we know power costs a thing.

1MCN:
I can only direct you to the clause that supports my opinion only if you'd pay for the knowledge. Just post the charge thru my email and wait for the answer in not more than 12hrs. Yes, am Igbo! If knowledge is power, we know power costs a thing.

Nwanne ndo o.
There's no such clause (section) in the constitution,quit displaying ur ignorance now.There's no prize for it.