•Elder statesman Chief Edwin Clark
Niger Delta leader, Chief Edwin Clark has warned the president of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio not to allow anti-democratic forces to hijack the National Assembly in the planned review of the country’s constitution.
The former national commissioner said groups are mobilising to hijack various debates aimed at tinkering with the constitution without following due process, especially as it concerns the State account.
Clark said section 9 of the 1999 constitution as amended stipulates the mode for alteration of the country’s constitution.
The elder statesman in his letter to the senate president stated: “Mr. Senate President, the information floating around town is that this dangerous, anti-democratic group in the NASS is regrouping, and wants to control their various State judiciary and local governments.
“They want State account to be removed without debate as provided for in Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution as quoted above; this group of persons have won the congresses of their political parties in their various States, and are now waiting to take over the party structures through dubious means because it is the NASS that can amend the Constitution as provided.
“Please this country is divided, and it is failing. This is the time for the various arms of government to perform their duties according to the law.
“The purpose of this write-up, therefore, is to kindly appeal to you not to allow this nefarious group to hi-jack the public debates in the various State Houses of Assembly, where the debates will be held having regard to the powers of the State Governors and some mischievous, ambitious and “powerful” politicians over their State Houses of Assembly.
“Everyone, in this country, is under strict compulsion to obey the Constitution. I repeat here, Section 1 (1) which says: This Constitution is supreme and its provisions shall have binding force on all authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This includes the Supreme Court (Judiciary) the President (Executive) and the National Assembly (Legislature).”
