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The past is indeed important because it tells the future. To depict the future we must rely on the past. It is rather paramount we always look at the pages of history. 16th May, 2006 is one important date all Nigerians will live to remember. This particular day marked the end of an epoch and the beginning of another. It was on this fateful day that the death of the late third term occurred. On that very day, many celebrated and few cried. Ceteris paribus, people do not celebrate as a result of a demise.
This no doubt depicts the hatred Nigerians have for the late third term. Given the fact that for almost a year, the elongation bid has been the issue at the helm of our nation's political affairs, it is of great interest we remember the attempts made by its bidders to see it a dream come true.
To set sail the agenda, Mr. Obasanjo and the sycophants around him first decided to hijack the ruling party, PDP( Predictably Dying Party as observed by late Wada Nas). In other words all pro-Atikus and friends were shown the corridor leading to the exit door of the party. This saw the likes of Audu Ogbeh out of the party. The EFCC was used as a tool to threaten governors and other political figures to support third term or become financial criminals. To be a financial criminal in this country is to go against the wishes of Mr. Obasanjo. Through this means, Mr. President successfully took over the party.
The National Political Conference organised by the presidency last year is indeed more of nothing but a test to see the unity in the North in particular and the country at large. If any unity, they would create disunity. At the time there was actually no unity. It was also a test to see how Nigerians would react to the third term bid. At the time of the political experiment they perceived chances of maneuvre. At the end of the political experiment the bidders were able to see green light.
It then came to the legislative maneuvre. Senator Ibrahim Mantu (OBJ's big boy) was appointed to chair the National Assembly joint committee on constitutional review. After an unconstitutional zonal hearing, the committee had its retreat in Port- Harcourt. Before the committee submitted its report, some of its members dismembered themselves. They did so because they were not given the chance to make contributions. The report's submission was followed by a GREAT DEBATE in the Senate. during the debate, Nigerians saw nationalists and non-nationalist, democrats and non-democrats, money hunters and nobles.
The unity they saw its absence during their political experiment suddenly turned out to be present. The chance of successful maneuver they saw suddenly disappeared. The discrepancies that exist between political camps disappeared too. To crown it all, those organisations and individuals against Tazarce found themselves somewhat united. The gentle Senators, whom we must give credit to, formed a platform they call the 2007 Movement. Despite all these, Mr. President did not decline.
The next strategy was giving a N50m bribe to the Senators. All to no avail. While many a senator rejected the bribe few a senator accepted it. Finally the struggle got over after the Mantu-led committee report got a first reading. It could not secure a second one. The whistle for time over was blown. At this stage, the sycophants could not do anything but to look at the situation going out of their control. Finally, the late third term passed away when the constitution amendment got itself rejected. This happened on 16th May, 2006.
This is a text I received from a colleague.
Let us hope that third term is really in its grave. Certain nationalists have expressed the possibility of another move to see Mr. OBJ in the presidency beyond 2007. " I know our president. He will not readily give up. I pray he does." These are the words of Chief Sunday Awoniyi in message he sent to the NASS after the demise of third term. The president, may among other tactics, decide to make the 2007 political year not conducive for elections. We must be very careful with the president's sycophants.
The demise of third term has indeed distabilized the permutation, calculation, and co-ordination of certain politicians. A governor from the North suddenly come to think that Nigerians do not know him. As soon as third term died, we saw on a national daily the governor telling us who he is. He has been a governor since 1999 but never thought Nigerians do not know him till now. This is rather ridiculous. If I am to say who the governor is, I would say he is the governor of a state in North-Eastern Nigeria. He is a loyal supporter of the late third term.
Not only him, many a gentleman have turned to be otherwise. Na'Abba sees them as people with first class brains but having third class minds. A professor from north-eastern Nigeria also did a great damage to his reputation. We hope he would get to his consciousness before it would be too late.
Having observed all these, it is paramount we note that the future is uncertain. Mergers are expected to come up between parties and individuals as well. The outcome of which would have an impact on the future. We hope that what time has in its womb is something good for the common man of Nigeria. 16th May should be declared Legislature's day.
Mukhtar is of Hassan Ibrahim Gwarzo Old Student's community in Bauchi.
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