Nigerian Senate votes to empower vice president

By BASHIR ADIGUN
Associated Press Writer



ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) -- The Nigerian Senate voted Tuesday to empower the vice president to take over for the nation's ill and absent president, potentially ending a constitutional crisis that has engulfed Africa's most populous nation.

The Senate voted to authorize Goodluck Jonathan to take over as president and commander in chief while President Umaru Yar'Adua remains hospitalized in Saudi Arabia. A similar motion sat Tuesday before the Nigerian House of Representatives. If the House passes the measure, Jonathan could be immediately sworn in as president.

Yar'Adua, who long has suffered from kidney ailments, traveled out of the country several times for what his advisers said were medical checkups before he left Nigeria for Saudi Arabia on Nov. 23. He was admitted to a hospital the next day.

As questions mounted, his physician released a statement saying Yar'Adua had acute pericarditis, an inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart.

Since Yar'Adua left Nigeria, a major kidnapping and a pipeline attack have occurred in the oil-rich Niger Delta despite an amnesty program for militants led by Yar'Adua. Religious violence between Christians and Muslims in central Nigeria also left more than 300 dead and thousands displaced.

And a young Nigerian attempted to bring down a trans-Atlantic flight bound for Detroit, sparking new security regulations for travelers from the West African nation.

While Nigerian law allows for a smooth transition of power from Yar'Adua to the vice president, the 58-year-old president left without following any of those procedures.

While the federal government says Jonathan has been acting in Yar'Adua's place without the constitutional procedures, protesters have taken to the street warning the country will remain rudderless until something changes.

Yar'Adua has given one interview since being out of the country. In January, he told the BBC that he hoped to recover and return to power.

Senate President David Mark said that telephone interview served as all the notification needed to allow Jonathan to take power.

"The BBC interview is as good as the letter envisioned by the constitution," Mark said.

The House was expected to take up the similar motion later Tuesday.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AF_NIGERIA_PRESIDENT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-02-09-06-18-17

I'm still waiting to read or hear its official. Our country need to move forward cos all this they are doing might be shoved aside in minutes as we all know. I hope our senators have the love of our country in mind.

sulad82i:

I'm still waiting to read or hear its official. Our country need to move forward cos all this they are doing might be shoved aside in minutes as we all know. I hope our senators have the love of our country in mind.

Here you go:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100209/ap_on_re_af/af_nigeria_president

Enjoy

Thank God . Minister of Justice has failed this time.

disHonourable senators a little late

Thank God the Nigerian Minister for 'Injustice' Mr Micheal Aandoakaa has finally failed. It is time for Goodluck Jonathan to sack him an appointment a minister for Justice not Minister for INJUSTICE like this so called Tiv SAN lawyer called Aadoakaa

[size=14pt][b]Hey Nairalander, please, please and please, Don't rejoice yet. Do you think an Northerners will give up power just like that? Why do these Senators like confusing themselves? Why couldn't they wait for the FEC to deliberate? Did they suddenly realise another part of the constitution that empowers them to take such a resolution? If the intent for the resolution was genuine, why did they not impeach Yar'adua on grounds of incapacitation, rather than creating another constitutional anomaly? Is this another gimmick that will send Aondoakaa to court to question the jurisdiction of the senate to pass such a resolution?
Let me tell you people point blank - Andoaaka will soon come out to say it's a violation of the constitution as no letter has been dispatched. I see this playing out as follows. Andoaaka declares the move unconstitutional, Bankole refuses to follow suit, the cabinet splits as more move over to Dora's side, we have complete log jam, a constitutional crises and the Generals make their move(which is what the Northerners want in order to retain power in the North)The next few days are critical.


I'll keep my fingers crossed,

Shallom!!!!!!!!!![/b][/size]

Why should you rejoice because they obeyed the constitution?

~Borat~:

Why should you rejoice because they obeyed the constitution?

You have to rejoice over what happens once in a blue moon!

It's all a game. The Political class has held the Nigerian masses to ransom. It's a game plan & i know the Military may step in very soon to set up an interim government after looting for a few months. The Nigerian masses are like Pawns in a game of Chess in the hands of all the Politicians. They suffer the most.
Nigeria is sitting on a time bomb which only God can detonate. It's all a matter of time. The break up may come sooner than we think.

Just heard the news. It's great news, it brings some much needed stability at the helm instead.

At last. I hope the house wil expidite action on same.

Lets keep all fingers cross and see what is going to be the outcome of the vote and beside I am very sure Andooaka will be preparing now for another showdown to go against whatever the outcome of the vote will be if it does favour him, for me personally I still dont know what Andooaka stand for? Is he for peace? Is he for disrespect of constitution I still don't know. I am waiting!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a hoax designed to further complicate the issue and polarize the system. They do not have such power - legally or constitutionally without a written declaration from Yar’adua? Shouldn’t they rather impeach the man for failing to do the right thing so we can move forward? This confirmation is fraudulent, and will sure create another legal stalemate.

I AGREE WITH YOU COMPLETELY TESKEYMAN, THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS WILL BE CRITICAL. WE HOPE IT DOES NOT TURN OUT FOR THE WORST.

[size=8pt]4 the 1st time in many yrs, the senate has done one thing right, so we should commend them. This should be the face of new Nigeria, Goodluck like his name is, is truely with good luck and Nigerias are really lucky.

4 the 1st time in many yrs, the senate has done one thing right, so we should commend them. This should be the face of new Nigeria, Goodluck like his name is, is truely with good luck and Nigerias are really lucky.

Some people can be so so negative and lily livered , TeskyMan and oluking are classical examples!!
How bad can Nigeria get before we kow that we need to do something, anything to just get this country moving. North agree or no gree o, the constitution must be obeyed and common sense must prevail.
Its reasoning like this that gives Aondokaa n his bunch of rif raffs d guts to call al of us fools

DUMPERS NEEDED URGENTLY FOR HIRE PLEASE CALL 08035420177 0R 08053781492 IF YOU GOT FOR HIRE.

dumpers urgently needed for hire call 08035420177 or 08053781492

All this while that yaradua was in saudi,the military "maintained".
But now that it is almost certain that J.Goodluck( a southern) will be d presido,
it now seems most likely that another military incursion is imminent cos
come to think of it,majority of the army men are abokis and the north
wouldl rather want to hold on to power than see nigeria move forward.

THE NORTH WILL NEVER GIVE UP POWER LIKE THIS,
IF THEY DO STH IS AROUND THE CORNER.

Since the assasination of Aguiyi ironsi,they have cling to power
and never let go.Every political elite knows this BECAUSE
Gowon said in ABURI ACCORD,''the boys picked him up at ibadan and
killed him''
OJUKWU replied,'' in the absence of THE SUPREME COMMANDER,the next
in command should take over in the person of OGUNDIPE.''

Gowon replied,' the boys said they can only received ORDER from a high
ranking officer from the north who happens to be Gowon(OJUKWU and GOWON are of the same rank at the time)

SOMETHING IS COOKING IF THEY GIVE UP POWER LIKE THIS.

We are unfortunately blessed with lots of comedians as leaders! We all know what the constitution says. CAN THE SENATE EMPOWER A VICE PRESIDENT TO ACT AS PRESIDENT  If the Senate could, the constitution wouldn't have requested the President to tranmit,

It is such a pity! A great pity! A country as blessed as ours could be endowed with VISIONLESS & SELFISH LEADERS!

this is the end of part 1 of the movie called Nigeria. The drama continues in part 2, the struggle has just begun

This is definitely a hoax! The first rule in law is simple: You cannot give what you do not have.

The National Assembly cannot constitutionally empower anybody, VP Jonathan inclusive, to act as Acting President. They can only exercise such powers when the President WRITES to indicate that he has transferred his rights to his Vice. Not very much that the constitution clearly states that ONLY after they have received a letter for the President. In this case, they have not received anything.

BTW, I thought their is separation of powers in this country and in our constitution, so now the legislature wants to determine the head of the legislature? Mbanu!

When injustice and unconstitutional means becomes law, only then will resistance (in whatever form) become a duty.

Wetin concern me and Nigerian government?
Me i keep making my dough cos i know they have no time for me over there.
anything wey dem like make dem do!

TeskyMan:

[size=14pt]The next few days are critical.

[/size]

Spot on, bro. Couldn't have said it any better! Except by putting "very" in-between 'are' & 'critical'

THANK GOD.
MR.PRESIDENT PLS SACK AGF

Goodluck, is indeed a lucky man. I hope he will not be _{a yes sir man} to the likes of Obasanjo, James Ibori and co.
No. 1 agenda should be to sack AGF and other cronies of OBJ, Ibori and co in Yaradua's government.