High level intrigues that involved key principal officers of the Presidency and some lawmakers led to the failure of a debate on President Umaru Yar’Adua’s absence for 50 days on health grounds without handing over to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan.

It was gathered that the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Dr. Abba Aji, played a key role in a covert meeting with the Speaker of the House, Mr. Dimeji Bankole and some key lawmakers.

Also, Northern lawmakers led by Alhaji Farouk Lawan and Dr. Shehu Matazu - a Yar’Adua kinsman, coordinated efforts to nip the debate in the mud.

Shortly after the House adjourned, Aji, a former senator, was said to have greeted the Speaker, apparently for “a job well done.”

Aji was reported to be smiling as he acknowledged Bankole’s deft handling of proceedings.

A source also said that the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr. Abba Ruma, was also prominent in the scheming that killed the planned debate.

It was learnt that the Speaker had prepared list of lawmakers that would make contributions during the executive session to avoid having an unmanageable parley.

Besides the Speakers, others that spoke were former Minority leader, Mohammed Ndume, Minority Whip, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, a former Majority leader, Alhaji Abdul Ningi, former Speaker, Mrs. Patricia Etteh and Alhaji Farouk Lawan.

Bankole, the source went on, opened debate on the matter by urging the lawmakers to be mature in handling the Yar’dua health saga.

He added, “There are people waiting to take us to ground zero.”

Also, he used the opportunity to confirm to the lawmakers that he spoke with the President and his wife, Turai, from Saudi Arabia , in a telephone conversation that lasted for about four minutes.

Bankole reportedly disclosed that the ADC to the President called him and handed over the phone to the President during which he (Bankole) asked him how well he was getting.

“I am getting better,” Yar’Adua allegedly retorted.

Ningi, a lawmaker from Bauchi State , it was learnt, spoke at length and enjoined his colleagues to be careful in discussing the Yar’Adua matter.

It was learnt that he reportedly proposed the resolution that a delegation be sent to Saudi Arabia to wish the President well.

He also drew members’ attention to the handicap that the House faced in invoking Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.

The section states that the Vice-President can be made Acting President during temporary absence of the President, “whenever the President transmits” letters to leadership of Senate and the House.

Etteh in calling for caution, repotedly noted that any human being could fall sick, the way the President had.

Lawan, the leader of Integrity Group in the House, was said to have cautioned his colleagues not to over hit the polity with debate on Yar’Adua’s absence, stressing that the Constitution provided a framework for dealing with the matter.

Ndume also preached for caution among his colleagues.

But Gbajabiamila was reported to have opposed moves to stop the debate.

But when the Action Congress Leader could not persuade the PDP majority lawmakers to toe his line, he gave a-48-hour deadline to the Presidency to activate Section 145.

A dissatisfied lawmaker, said, “The argument of those who masterminded the failure of the debate on Tuesday is that anybody who wants the President to handover power is guided by selfish reason.

“They believe that giving Jonathan power is bringing Obasanjo back to reckoning.”

A PDP lawmaker from the South-South expressed disappointment with the House leadership for the way the issue was handled.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201001131192742

Has anyone one here ever read the book 'Animal Farm',this is exactly how the plot unfolds. Sad thing is,if we're to follow the book, it menas Nigerians will be enslaved by her leaders foreva!