THE Federal Government, yesterday, reversed its sack order on Vice-president Atiku Abubakar, saying he remains the nation’s number two citizen pending the decision of the Court of Appeal on the case filed by it on the matter
The Presidency reversed the sack order, just as the inference drawn from the statement by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that Atiku had been disqualified from the April presidential poll drew reaction from the vice-president who declared that only the court can stop him from vying in the election. On the Presidency’s affirmation that he remained the vice president, he said that the development was evident that government’s advisers were confused.


The government’s position was contained in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by President Olusegun Obasanjo’s spokesperson, Mrs Oluremi Oyo. Another aide, Mallam Uba Sani, had, last weekend, said the Presidency had declared the vice-president’s seat vacant based on Atiku’s defection from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the Action Congress, AC, which presidential ticket he picked penultimate week.


Oyo’s statement yesterday stated that Obasanjo had not authorised the statement by Uba over the vice-president’s status. The statement by the presidential spokesperson read: “In view of recent reports and comments in the media on the current status of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the present administration, the Presidency wishes to state as follows: At its last meeting in December 2006, the National Executive Committee of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) decided to regard Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s acceptance of his nomination as presidential candidate of the Action Congress as clear evidence of his voluntary abandonment of the PDP and the joint ticket with President Olusegun Obasanjo that made him vice president.


“The PDP NEC further decided that because of his voluntary desertion of the party, Atiku Abubakar is no longer a member of the PDP. These decisions were subsequently conveyed to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in his capacity as president of Nigeria and leader of the PDP, as well as to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Assembly. Consequent upon these decisions and action, the minister of justice and attorney-general of the federation has asked the Court of Appeal for a legal interpretation of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 in this regard. The Presidency has not authorized any other comment on this matter other than the decisions and action of the PDP and the Attorney-General of the Federation.”


Atiku fights back on qualification Yesterday, the vice president dismissed the insinuation that he had been barred from contesting the April presidential election as the AC candidate on the grounds of INEC’s statement that anybody indicted by a government panel for fraud cannot vie in the forthcoming general elections.“The impression that the vice president has been banned or disqualified from contesting the presidential election is wrong. The Electoral Act is clear on how to disqualify candidates from the election,” the vice president’s spokesperson, Dr. Adeolu Akande, told Sunday Vanguard.


The spokesperson pointed out that INEC has no such role as to ban candidates from contesting election. He went on: “What the Electoral Act says is that, after INEC has published the list of candidates preparatory to the general elections as the electoral body has done, any member of the public who believes that any of the candidates does not qualify to stand election according to the 1999 Constitution and the 2006 Electoral Act will swear to affidavit in court calling attention to the grounds of petition.


“Then the candidate will have opportunity to defend himself and the court will decide. It is the court judgement that INEC will apply to disqualify the candidate. If anybody feels that Atiku cannot stand as a candidate in the forthcoming polls, such a person should follow due process.


“The interpretation that the vice president has been barred by INEC is based on the so-called indictment by President Obasanjo’s administrative panel. It is common knowledge that the EFCC and the administrative panel’s reports as well as government gazette on the indictment have been set aside by a competent court of law which the EFCC has acknowledged by appealing to the Court of Appeal.


“Unless a superior court rules otherwise, any attempt to stop the vice president from the forthcoming polls based on the indictment does not arise in law. What we are witnessing is the desperation of the opponents of the vice president who are afraid of his political profile and who are already panicking about the outcome of any election against him.


“We believe Nigeria is governed by the law and not the whims and caprices of some individuals. The position of the law is clear - there is no EFCC report, there is no administrative panel report, there is no gazette. Those who are basing their expectations that Atiku will not contest the presidential election on the EFCC report, the administrative panel report and gazette are only day-dreaming. They should simply get set to face the vice president at the polls rather than wasting their time.


“Is it not instructive that those who claim Atiku is of no political consequence have now elevated stopping him from contesting to a lifetime ambition? The choice of the next president is that of Nigerians to make and not for any individual or king. We remain committed to defending the right of the people to elect their president.”


Speaking on the Presidency’s reversal of the sack order on the vice president, the spokesperson stated: “It is evident that government’s counsellors and handlers are confused.” Adeolu continued: “They have allowed their desperation to stop Atiku from contesting the election to force them into frustration and confusion. Let us hope that this would be the last statement they would issue on the status of the VP. But we have never been in any doubt on Atiku’s status.”

You think and make decision, you don't make a move and then think!

This presidency signifies failure and illiteracy.

According to leadership 101 class (Ldrsh101), as a leader your decision must always be final. Hence it is very important for you to profoundly think and exhaust all options before making your decision.