From Sani Babadoko & Abdullahi M. Gulloma

This is coming on the heels of remarks by the chairman, Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), Alhaji Balarabe Musa, that president Obasanjo will do everything possible to hang on to power beyond 2007 because the President would be sent to prison on account of his constitutional misdemea-nours since 1999.

Speaking at the inauguration of the newly elected members of the Association of Tipper and Quarry Owners of Nigeria (ATQON), in Abuja yesterday, Chief Falae said that the president should vacate office in 2007 as stipulated in the 1999 constitution so that the country can have peace and move forward.

He said that Nigerians would resist attempts by anybody to extend the tenure of the present administration beyond 2007.

“We are one of the most intelligent people in the world. We shall oppose attempts by any group or individual to distort our constitution. Though there have been a lot of denials from government but in Nigeria, there is no smoke without fire. And we are ready to put off that fire immediately,” he said.

On his part, Alhaji Balarabe Musa told Daily Trust in Kaduna yesterday that “if you take into account the number of Obasanjo’s misdeeds, their impact, their unconstitutionality since 1999, if you take all these into account, do you expect Obasanjo to hand over in 2007 only to be sent back to prison again.?
“Let me give you an example of the latest in his litany of misdeeds. He submitted a bill to the National Assembly asking them to cover up his unconstitutionality and illegality over the N7 billion Obasanjo library. This man is in complete contempt of every Nigerian.

“He also knows that he came to office with moral claims which has been exposed for its hypocricy. He has undermind every Head of State since after 1979 when he handed over. He even attempted to imprison former Heads of state. Now, naturally, he knows what he did to others will have implications on himself when he hands over and the only way he can stop that happening to him is to cling on to power by any means.

“Obasanjo does not need to tell anybody that he does not have a hidden agenda. He has said on a number of occasions that he does not care what Nigerians say. You can see the way he submitted the conference report to the National Assembly was very contemptuous and the way the assembly also received the report also shows how irrelevant the legislature is.

“The same legislature which was opposed to the conference so much so that they refused to approve funds for it are the same people who were falling over themselves to receive the report,” he observed.

The leader of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), said what Nigerians expected the National Assembly to do was to probe the president’s illegal securing of over N3 billion to fund the conference.

“In fact what we expected the National Assembly to do is to query him on how he secured illegal funds to carry out a public function.

“We expect them to query him about the propriety of this action which has implications for fraud and corruption. The implication is that he received funds from corrupt sources that compromise the government and the presidency,” he submitted.

Balarabe Musa said there is no longer any separation of powers between the executive and the legislature and the judiciary as stipulated in the constitution.

“The National Assembly and the judiciary have now been subordinated to the executive. Even the executive is no more. Obasanjo is everything and Nigerians should resist this arrogant dictatorship,” he insisted.

He said one of three things must happen if Obasanjo insists on clinging on to power. First, Nigerians will continue to suffer as slaves. Secondly, a military coup which he said will be unacceptable or thirdly anarchy will set in.

He suggested that people’s power should be embarked on by Nigerians to force Obasanjo out of office and the convocation of an interim government to organise a free and fair elections.