Nigeria: EFCC - Senate May Impeach Obasanjo, Atiku
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Vanguard (Lagos)
September 8, 2006
Posted to the web September 8, 2006
Emmanuel Aziken, Ben Agande & Ayodele Adegbuyi
Abuja
ALLEGED moves by President Olusegun Obasanjo to get Vice-President Atiku Abubakar impeached appeared, yesterday, to be spinning towards a mutual sack for both men with Senators galvanising support for their (Obasanjo and Atiku) impeachment.
The Senators believe the two men should be forced out by March 2007 to allow the President of the Senate take over the leadership of the country and provide a level playing ground for the 2007 elections.
Meanwhile, embattled Vice President Atiku on the advice of some associates and Senators has commenced efforts to solidify support in the Senate which, yesterday, received the report of the Administrative Panel constituted by the President to investigate him and some other citizens.
The covering letter attached to the report from President Obasanjo addressed to the President of the Senate was read without debate on the Senate floor. But briefing newsmen after the Senate session yesterday, Dr Jonathan Zwingina said the Senate would choose one of three options in considering the report.
According to him, the Senate could refer it to a standing committee, an ad-hoc committee or consider it in a committee of the whole Senate.
He said the report would be considered on its merit, but denied that it was meant to impeach the VP.
But outside the Senate chambers, lawmakers were especially reticent on the issue, though some were observed by their colleagues to have welcomed the development as an opportunity to make financial and political capital ahead of the elections.
As at last night, the Senate leadership was making concerted efforts to hide the complete report including correspondences between Obasanjo and Atiku with different sections of the bulky report being reproduced in different places in the National Assembly.
The president's letter dated September 6, 2006 reads: "I am constrained to forward to you a complete report on the investigation substantially generated by the request from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and following my own instruction for the investigation of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) as a result of the allegation made by Congressman William J. Jefferson in his letter of May28, 2004.
"The reports of the Administrative Panel of Inquiry chaired by Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and the conclusions of the FEC on the issue are hereby forwarded to you for information of the members of Senate.
"Just before the FEC considered the Report, the Vice President submitted the memorandum dated 6th September 2006 to which my reply dated 6th September 2006 was given. All are attached to this letter."
Senators who had, by last night, received information on the development were further unnerved by the letter and immediately formed into groups while proceedings in the chamber continued. The lawmakers first congregated along the pro and anti-third divide, the last major political division in the Senate.
However, some silent supporters of the Vice-President and those who sought to take a neutral course were said to be canvassing the impeachment of the President and the Vice-President.
"This thing may well work out for the nation as some of us are rooting for the impeachment of the two of them. That is the popular opinion on the floor," one Senator told Vanguard on the condition of anonymity.
Another Senator confirming the agitation, said a number of Senators were canvassing the impeachment of the President and the Vice-President to allow the President of the Senate take over the leadership of the country within the last three months of the present term of the duo.
Section 146 (2) of the Constitution provides that where there is a vacancy in the office of the President and Vice-President, the President of the Senate should take office and organise an election for a new President and Vice-President within three months.
By the calculation of the Senators seeking the impeachment of the two men, the process could be concluded by March 2007, allowing the President of the Senate to serve out the rest of the tenure as President of the country.
"That to me is the best solution to this whole crisis, allowing the two men to go and give us peace so that we can start on a clean slate," another Senator told Vanguard yesterday.
Sani Sanmi (ANPP, Kebbi South) who had in the past compiled impeachable offences of the President in supporting the proposal told Vanguard yesterday: "The communication is for the process of impeachment and if it is so, he too (the President) has impeachable offences and that means two of them will go. The President and Vice-President will go.
"There are so many impeachable offences he (Obasanjo) has committed which we overlooked. But if he wants to bring the Vice-President's impeachable offences, then we will combine the two of them," Senator Sanmi said shortly after the day's deliberations
Briefing journalists subsequently, Senator Zwingina, vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity said the Senate would follow laid down procedure when considering the report. He listed the three options before the Senate in considering the report to be referring the report to a standing Committee, an ad-hoc Committee or a Committee of the whole Senate.
Affirming that the Senate was not yet on an impeachment move, he said: "I want to be factual about what we received. I want to draw your attention to the President's letter. Let me correct the impression that the Senate has commenced impeachment on him. The Senate has procedure that it could follow on issues like this."
Meanwhile, sources said yesterday that the Vice-President had commenced moves to solidify his base in the Senate by making contacts with Senators. The level of contacts and commitment so far won could, however, not be ascertained last night.
Reps caution on reports
Some members of the House of Representatives also reacted cautiously to the report forwarded by President Obasanjo to the National Assembly on the investigations carried out by EFCC on Vice President Atiku.
While some members hailed the report as a sign of government seriousness in the war against corruption, others said the timing of the release of the report was capable of unnecessarily heating the polity.
Mr. Leo Ogor said though the report had not been formally submitted to the House of Representatives, members would take a dispassionate look at it and make an informed judgment based on facts contained in the report.
"I think the most important thing is that we have to study the report in details. Anything that bothers on corruption would not be tolerated. We will do a detailed analysis and if we find any truth, we will take a patriotic decision. No body is above the law, including the president himself. So long as it can be proved, it will not be tolerated," he said.
In his reaction, Mr. CID Maduabum cautioned that stakeholders in the country should not over-heat the system unnecessarily but added that the National Assembly in the consideration of the report would be guided by national interest and patriotism.
"Whatever it is, the National Assembly would treat the issues involved on their merit and not on sentiment or whether we like the vice president or the president or not. We should be guided by national interest in our deliberation," he said.
Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, in his reaction, said there was nothing in the report that could warrant the speculation of an impeachment of the vice president and urged the president and the vice president to weather the remaining period of their tenure together. "If they have been tolerating each other for the last three and half years, they should allow the remaining six months or so pass without overheating the system," he said.
