Dotun Oladipo and Olamilekan Lartey

The PDP said through its National Chairman, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, that Obasanjo's achievements, particularly in the liquefied natural gas sector and debt relief were enough grounds for him to continue in office.

Ali spoke in Asaba, Delta State, in an interview with journalists after a private visit to the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Chike Edozien.

His comments came barely 48 hours after former military President Ibrahim Babangida said the controversial third term would not work.

The PDP chairman took a swipe at journalists and columnists, saying their opinions on third term did not represent those of the public.

He said, there is no backlash. It is just a few editors in 10 or 12 papers that are trying to force the nation to accept their views. All the newspaper columnists are writing what they like. They are not the public. The National Assembly can amend the constitution. And that is entirely a constitutional position.

的 can tell you that I don't know about third term. I know about extension of tenure of chief executives. And this can be done by amending the constitution from the two terms of four years to three terms of four years. That is for continuity of governance, for improvement of social economic quality of life in Nigeria.・

Stressing that only the Obasanjo regime had rescued the nation from the abyss, Ali insisted that the President deserved to continue in office because he had also transformed the country from a pariah state to a nation of great importance in the world.

For goodness sake, all the debts that our great-grand children would have been owing the white man have been cancelled under this government. We need more of this kind of good governance to move the nation forward. This is why the amendment to the constitution must be supported by every reasonable Nigerian,・he said.

Ali was accompanied on the visit by the Edo State Governor, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, and his Delta State counterpart, Chief James Ibori.

Meanwhile, the report of the National Assembly Joint Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution may be tabled before the federal legislators next week.

It was learnt that copies of the proposed amendments are already being rolled out to enable each lawmaker have a copy for proper study ahead of the debate.

It was gathered that if the nation was to meet the May 2006 proposed date for the commencement of the new constitution, the debate must be concluded in the next two weeks.

This, according to sources, is to enable the states Houses of Assembly to consider the document before it is sent to the National Assembly.

Top members of the JCRC who disclosed these to our correspondents on Friday, said, however, that debate was not expected to commence immediately as the lawmakers would be given time to consult with their constituencies on the proposed amendments.

The source also revealed that every lawmaker would vote individually (division) on each proposed amendment.

Said the source, now, it is not going to be a matter of voice vote. It is going to be each person standing up to be counted on every single amendment being proposed. It is not going to be a matter of dispute. And then we'll see clearly the positions of all.・

The debate on the issues comes amid a strong battle for the control of the state Houses of Assembly by elements who favoured and opposed the third term bid.

It was gathered that the Presidency, the National Assembly governors and other interest groups have started reaching out to the state lawmakers.

It was learnt that the meeting of the speakers of the 36 state Houses of Assembly, earlier scheduled to take place in Lafia, Nasarawa State, is being reconsidered for next week ahead of the presentation of the proposed amendments to the state assemblies.

The Punch, Monday March 27, 2006