VP: NASS receives Sambo’s nomination, set for screening on Tuesday

By John Ameh, Abuja, Published: Saturday, 15 May 2010
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Sambo

Barring last-minute changes, the two chambers of the National Assembly will separately screen vice-presidential nominee and Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Namadi Sambo, on Tuesday for Nigeria‘s second most important political office.

President Goodluck Jonathan finally forwarded the name of the governor to the NASS on Friday.

The President‘s decision was contained in a letter he addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole.

The letter, dated May 13, 2010, and titled ”Nomination of Vice-President” reads, ”In compliance with the provisions of Section 146, Sub-section (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I have the honour to nominate Alhaji Namadi Sambo for consideration as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the House of Representatives.

”While hoping that this exercise will receive the usual expeditious consideration and approval of the Honourable House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, please accept, Mr Speaker, the assurances of my highest regards.”

Findings at the House showed that it had already concluded arrangements for the screening in compliance with Section 146 (3)(c) of the 1999 Constitution.

It does not require a joint session of the National Assembly to screen the nominee, though each arm, sitting separately, must approve whoever is nominated by the President as the Vice-President.

The section reads, ”, (c) for any other reason, the President shall nominate and, with the approval of each House of the National Assembly, appoint a new Vice-President.”

A Notice Paper the House Committee on Rules and Business released on Friday for next week‘s activities listed Sambo‘s name under item 2(a) as a subject for deliberation on Tuesday.

The document stated that Sambo would be screened by the House on Tuesday in compliance with the constitution.

The paper stated, ”Consideration of the nomination of Alhaji Namadi Sambo as Vice-President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, pursuant to Section 146 of the 1999 Constitution.”

When he was contacted for clarification, Chairman of the committee, Mr. Ita Enang (PDP, Akwa Ibom), confirmed that the Kaduna State governor‘s name had been forwarded to the House.

Saturday Punch investigations, however, revealed that the debate on Sambo‘s choice might be stormy on Tuesday as some lawmakers were already opposing him.

It was gathered that members of the Northern Legislators‘ Forum in particular, were sharply divided over the nomination of Sambo.

The Forum comprises of legislators from the three geopolitical zones in the North -North-East, North-Central and North-West.

Their grouse is said to be the fact that Jonathan‘s choice upturned their calculations.

“This was not what we expected. The President simply refused to listen to our plea that he should pick the former Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, for the job.

“His decision upturned our calculations and we are not happy,” a member of the forum said in Abuja.

A lawmaker from Kano State, Alhaji Abubakar Maifata, said the forum was still consulting.

However, it was learnt that the majority of lawmakers from the North-West disagreed with those from the larger Northern Forum and had endorsed Sambo.

Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Alhaji Farouk Lawan, confirmed that the North-West had accepted Sambo, being one of them.

“As far as we are concerned, Mr. President has met our demand for the VP to come from the North-West in the spirit of fairness, equity and justice. We are satisfied,” Lawan said.



Efforts to get the Chairman of the Northern Forum, Mr. Terngu Tsegba, to comment on the disagreement failed on Friday.

He did not pick his calls while a text message our correspondent forwarded to his mobile telephone was not replied.