16 May 2006 |
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 No third term for Nigerian leader Nigeria's Senate has thrown out a move to allow President Olusegun Obasanjo to seek a third term of office next year - an issue which has divided the country. Opponents shouted for joy as the bill to amend the constitution was rejected. Supporters of the third term issue spent days in talks trying to acquire a two-thirds majority in both houses. Meanwhile, a new bill has been proposed in the lower house of parliament which would allow one term of six years to be served for presidents and governors. After a vote, the senate president said the body would discontinue further proceedings on the bill. "The bill is dead. It cannot be brought again until the lifespan of this Senate terminates," Senator Abu Ibrahim told Reuters news agency after the Senate vote. President Olusegun Obasanjo has not said whether he would like to remain in office after his current term expires next year. But the BBC's Alex Last says that after this devastating blow in the Senate, it appears that at election time next year, Nigeria will be choosing a new president. New move In the House of Representatives, loud applause from both sides of the third term debate greeted the plan announced by deputy speaker Austin Opara that presidents and governors serve one six-year term instead of two four-year terms currently allowed. Mr Opara, told MPs that those already in place "should not benefit" from the move which could come into effect next year. The proposal has now gone to a sub-committee for further discussion, says the BBC's Yusuf Sarki Mohamed in Abuja. On Monday, Nigeria's anti-corruption agency announced it was investigating claims that MPs have been offered bribes to back moves to let the president seek re-election. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it was following up claims that MPs had been offered up to 50m naira ($390,000; £206,000). Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who also wants the top job, had declared himself against the constituional amendment. He has helped Mr Obasanjo win two elections and has held the position of vice-president since 1999. Some opponents of the constitutional change argue that the presidency needs to rotate among people from different regions and ethnic groups. Nigeria’s upper house finally killed the “constitutional amendment bill” which would have given president Obasanjo an opportunity to take a shot at the presidency for a third term. The controversial bill includes several amendments to the military imposed 1999 constitution with which the Obasanjo regime had operated since 1999. The most contentious of the provision is the amendment which seeks to give the president and state governors a third term opportunity past May 2007 the terminal date for current office holders in Today at the upper house the bill was defeated with a voice vote by majority of senators. The bill did not pass to a second reading as required by senate rules for passing laws. A mild drama ensued at the house of represenative where the third term bill was unceremoniously withdrawn as debates raged on the issue. Saharareporters sources in The new strategy by the president and his handlers is a new song, they have resolved that they will call a truce on the third term controversy by advocating that the president tenure is extended by two more years so that he can complete some of his 'reform' projects. The plan is currently known as "PLAN B". Saharareporters can confirm that it was the original plan by Obasanjo before it was agreed that a four-year term should be placed before Nigerians as a way of over-heating the polity and then calm things down to get a sympathy for two years extention for his regime. This plan is aimed at asking for tenure elongation.
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