Yar’Adua: Gowon, Shagari, Shonekan, others back Senate
By John Alechenu and John Ameh, Published: Friday, 29 Jan 2010




Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon


Twenty-four hours after the Senate passed a resolution urging President Umaru Yar’Adua to respect the provisions of the constitution, a group of eminent Nigerians under the aegis of the Eminent Elders’ Group, on Thursday, asked Yar’Adua to hand over power to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan.

The group, which was led to the National Assembly by former President Shehu Shagari, made the call during separate visits to the President of the Senate, Mr. David Mark and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Demeji Bankole.

A former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, who chairs the group was not with the eminent Nigerians during the visit.

Other members of the entourage are former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan; a former Vice-President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme; as well as former Chief Justices of Nigeria – Idris Kutigi; Mohammed Uwais and Alfa Belgore.

Others are Lt.-Gen. T.Y. Danjuma, Chief Solomon Lar, Chief Edwin Clark, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Alhaji Ahmed Joda, Prof. Jerry Gana and Senator Jonathan Zwingina.

The group said it took the decision after a meeting of some former Presidents, Heads of State, former CJNs and elder statesmen, at the ECOWAS Parliament.

Shagari, who spoke for the team, said Yar’Adua’s prolonged absence called for concern.

He explained that the concern of members of the group over the tension generated by Yar’Adua’s absence to their meeting and subsequent decision to act.

According to him, part of the resolution reached after the meeting reads, “It is important to resolve this issue by inviting the President to formally issue the necessary communication that will enable the vice-president to be acting President in accordance with section 145 of the 1999 Constitution as soon as possible.”

Shagari told Mark, “We were worried about the situation in the country. We were happy to know that you were discussing the same thing that we were discussing yesterday. Everything depends on you. Everything depends on your decision.’’

The former President also said a copy of the letter had been forwarded to Yar’Adua, Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole.

In his response, the Senate President said Nigerians would surely benefit from the experience of members of the group.

According to him, “I am sure your words of wisdom will benefit all Nigerians. Our decision was based on the need for stability, unity, cohesion and the conscious need for power balancing in the country; above all, the security situation in the country.

“We believe that we need to be notified that the President is on medical vacation.

“In doing this, we were conscious of the security, political and power balancing in this country. The unity of this country is of utmost importance.

“We are humbled by your humility. We are anxious to put this impasse behind us so that we can make progress.’’

The group’s letter, which was signed by Gowon, was entitled “The State of the Nation” and presented to the President of the Senate by Shagari.

The letter reads in part: “I have been mandated and have the honour to address this letter to Your Excellency on issues of fundamental importance to the well being of our dear nation, Nigeria.

“For well over eight weeks now, our President has been ill and out of the country.

“This illness and long absence from the country is causing serious concern not only to Nigerian citizens but to all those who do business with Nigeria and have the well being of the country at heart.

“It is for this reason that I called the meeting of some of our former Presidents and Heads of State, former Chief Justices of Nigeria and elder statesmen.

“The meeting was held at the ECOWAS Parliament and was well attended.

“Following a critical review of the general political situation of the country in the recent past, but more especially since the illness of the President and his prolonged absence, it was decided that this letter be addressed to Your Excellency, the vice-president and the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives.”

The elders also visited the House of Representatives on Thursday and presented the same letter to Bankole.

The Speaker thanked them and said that he did not know the content of the letter but would respond appropriately after he might have read it.

The Senate had on Wednesday passed a resolution urging Yar’Adua to comply with the provisions of Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.

The elder statesmen later met behind closed doors with Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan in the Aso Rock Villa.

Danjuma told journalists after the meeting that lasted about 30 minutes that their presence in the seat of government was to convey their decisions on the current political logjam in the country.

Danjuma, a former Minister of Defence, said, “We came here to convey to the vice-president the decisions of the elders who met under the leadership of Gen. Gowon.

“Gowon was not here because he had to travel last night.”

Meanwhile, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, participants at a Niger Delta Forum, urged that Jonathan be made an acting President.

The forum, under the aegis of United Niger Delta Development Security strategy, was chaired by a former Minister of Aviation, Alabo Tonye Graham Douglas.

They argued that the failure of the various arms of the government to apply the relevant provisions of the law in addressing the country’s political impasse was dangerous.

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