Thread: 2007: Ex-heads of state banned

My people, my people...Is this good news or what??? Khamileon!!!! was it you that prohesied that Obj will not let IBB in??? E be like say the ting dey work o.... I pray that this goes through and becomes law! I am soooo luvving this!


2007: Ex-heads of state banned By Habeeb I. Pindiga

All former presidents and heads of state have been disqualified from contesting for the presidency under the six-year single term proposed by the National Political Reform Conference Committee on Political Party and the Electoral Process, according to the panel's report due for submission to confab secretariat today.

The report, exclusively obtained by Daily Trust in Abuja at the weekend, sought the amendment of section 137(b) of the 1999 constitution to bar all persons who held the position of military or civilian head of state or president from occupying that office again. Section 137 of the constitution prescribes conditions for the disqualification of certain persons from contesting the office of the president. Sub-section (b) disqualifies any person who "has been elected to such office at any two previous elections".

In the report, the confab committee recommended the substitution of the sub-section to read: "No person or Nigerian shall seek elective office for President, Governor or Local Government Chairman who has held such office or its equivalent for any term or period before." Former Nigerian rulers who would be affected if the committee's recommendations scale through are retired Generals Olusegun Obasanjo, Yakubu Gowon, Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdussalami Abubakar, Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Chief Ernest Shonekan. Babangida and Buhari are known to be interested in contesting for the presidency in 2007.

The report confirms a Daily Trust exclusive report last month that the president and governors are to have a single term of six and five years respectively. Though all governors serving their second tenures would not be eligible to run based on the proposal, first term governors who wish to re-contest may do so but would have to resign from their positions 90 days to the elections.

Under the recommendation for tenure of office, the report said, "The committee examined the Nigerian experience and to improve political stability of the nation, recommended the following for the executive and the legislature: A 6-year single term for the president; Governors should have a single term of 5 years; Senators, House of Representatives, members of State Houses of Assembly should have a renewable term of 4 years while councillors should have a renewable term of 3 years; Chairmen of local governments a single term of 3 years; First term governors who are interested in re-contesting shall resign from office not less than 90 days to the election."

Eleven first time governors who are to resign 90 days before the next elections if they are to re-contest are Governors Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano), Ibrahim Idris (Kogi), Bukola Saraki (Kwara), Danjuma Goje (Gombe), Ali Sheriff (Borno), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Rasheed Ladoja (Oyo), Segun Agagu (Ondo), Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun) and Chris Ngige (Anambra).

In defending the single term proposal, item 2.16 of the report said the innovation will "check the intensity of bitter political competition and violence that have characterized the struggle to retain power by incumbents. Furthermore it will reduce selfishness and self-centeredness of those who want to perpetuate themselves in office. It will also avoid the elongation of bad governance and reduce socio-political crises which trigger off violence during and after elections."

The committee also recommended that public office holders who decamp from their political parties should relinquish their offices. "Any elected person on a party's platform who decamps to another party before the expiration of his or her term of office shall automatically forfeit his or her office or seat."