I didn't ask Yar'Adua to resign

SIR: My name was fraudulently included amongst the list of 56 Nigerians demanding for the resignation of President Yar'Adua, published in virtually every newspaper on Wednesday December 2, 2009. I was indeed requested by one of these persons to allow my name to be included in a list of persons opposed to those calling on the Vice President, Dr Jonathan Goodluck to resign.

I replied that in view of the clear provisions of the Constitution, the calls for the Vice President to resign were childish and senseless and it did not deserve to be dignified or given prominence by any group response. But the caller persisted that there was a need to re-assure the public that the Vice President's position was secure since the ordinary person was not familiar with the provisions of the Constitution.

Based on the above information, I consented to have my name in support of that position; namely that the Vice-President could not be pressured or compelled to resign as a result of any fallout from the President's medical condition, as the Constitutional position was clear on the issue of succession or the circumstances under which the Vice President could act as President. There was no reference whatsoever to the possibility or desirability of the President to resign. The position of the President did not feature at all in our discussion. It is therefore clear that my consent was obtained fraudulently in that regard.

Indeed my view on the issue of the continuation of the President in office is absolutely contrary to the views expressed by the 56 prominent personalities. My view is that the President and his family and advisers are the best judge on that issue. In any case, Section 144 of the Constitution has elaborate provisions governing what should happen in case the President suffers from permanent incapacity.

Apart from the fact that I consider it uncharitable to call on the President to resign during such a difficult period for him, I consider some of the recent actions of President Yar'Adua to have been very positive for this Nation:


His present programme for Niger Delta involving massive infrastructural development and the allocation of 10 per cent ownership of the petroleum resources to the producing communities,

The recent signing of the forward-looking agreement with the ASUU.
These make him in many ways a far more progressive ruler that most of his predecessors. Therefore, for me, all told, this is the wrong time to ask President Yar'Adua to resign.

Itse Sagay,
Lagos.

Supported

The next moment, he will be touting himself as a constitutional lawyer. Now, our revered professor is no longer speaking as someone versed in the contents of the constitution but as a politician.