Many Nigerians have expressed concern that the current Constitution review process embarked upon by NASS may be threatened following the recently announced National Political Dialogue by President Jonathan.
On 7 October 2013, President Jonathan inaugurated a Presidential Committee led by Dr. Femi Okunrounmu. The committee is made up of the following: Dr Akilu Indabawa (to act as Secretary), Prof. George Obiozo; Professor Anya O. Anya , Senator Khairat Gwadabe; Senator Timothy Adudu, Col. Tony Nyiam (Rtd), Prof. Funke Adebayo, Dr. (Mrs.) Mairo Amshi, Dr. Abubakar Sadiq, Alhaji Dauda Birma, Mallam Buhari Bello and Mr. Tony Uranta.
The President’s charge to the Committee include the following:
- To consult expeditiously with all relevant stakeholders with a view to drawing up a feasible agenda for the proposed national dialogue/conference
- To make recommendations to government on structure and modalities for the proposed national dialogue/conference
- To make recommendations to government on how representation of various interest groups at the national dialogue/conference will be determined.
- To advise on a timeframe for the national dialogue/conference.
Not a few Nigerians have expressed concern about the real motives of the President in setting up this committee. It is as yet unclear whether the Committee’s actual tasks include charting a road map for convening the much talked about Sovereign National Conference. While a majority of the ethnic based organisations such as the ACF, Ohaneze Ndi Igbo and Afenifere seems to welcome the Presidents recommendation as an embrace of the Sovereign National Conference, several civil society groups and political activists believe that the President’s original intention with this Committee is to create confusion in the political terrain. Several of these critics and analysts point to the fact that with just a little over a year to the national election, the President cannot be taken seriously in any talk about convening a Sovereign National Conference.
The history of Sovereign National Conference across Africa in the 1990’s especially in countries such as Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast, Congo etc. show that Constitutional Conferences are long drawn events and could stretch into several years. Many of these critics questioned the objective of the President who only too recently was opposed to the idea of a Sovereign National Conference but now embraces it.
Critics believe that the President has no genuine intention to convene a Sovereign National Conference and is only seeking to sow crisis and discord with his new idea. Again, given the Constitutional provisions guiding changes to the Constitution and even the Presidents statement that the outcome of his initiative would be submitted to the National Assembly, it is clear that the President’s political gamble looks headed for the garbage.