Ogun Crises: ACN Urges Jonathan To Defend Constitution

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The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to be guided by  the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria rather than partisan politics in his bid  to help resolve the crisis in Ogun State, following the purported impeachment of the Speaker  and the suspension of 14 other House members by a group of nine legislators.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai  Mohammed, the party also warned against allowing Nigeria to slide back into the lawless  Obasanjo era, when impeachments were carried out in total disregard of Constitutional  stipulations and at odd hours.

It said what happened at the Ogun State House of Assembly is a clear case of brazen  lawlessness and parliamentary irresponsibility, and must not be allowed to stand under any  circumstance.

‘’We have read in the papers that President Jonathan’s intervention ended in a stalemate.  This cannot and should not be so. The only intervention we expect from the President is to  uphold the Constitution he swore to protect, by ordering the security agencies to ensure  that the G-15 can meet when they want, to carry out their Constitutional duties and to deal  decisively with anyone or group that tries to stop them.

“Those nine members trampled on the Constitution when they broke into the Assembly chambers,  met outside the regular hours and without the symbol of authority of the House (mace) or the  requisite majority to impeach the Speaker and suspend the majority of the members.

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“Similar impeachments that represent a flagrant disregard of the Constitution in Anambra and  Plateau states in the past were reversed by our country’s highest court. The action by Ogun  Assembly’s Group of nine cannot and will not stand.

“President Jonathan will only be lending credibility to their actions by negotiating with  them, perhaps under the guise of ‘family affair’ for which the PDP became notorious in the  Obasanjo days. There is nothing to negotiate or settle beyond upholding the Constitution if  any act violates it!” ACN warned.

The party said those who orchestrated the crisis and goaded the nine lawmakers into their  lawless act were simply trying to exploit the President’s vulnerability, against the  background of his expected candidacy in next year’s polls, believing he will be too  unwilling to act decisively so as not to alienate supposed supporters and allies.

“President Jonathan must reject this attempt to portray him as a waffling leader or to box  him into the same corner as those who stood by as the Constitution they pledged to uphold  was been desecrated. His eyes must be on his legacy, and that should not include failure to  uphold the Constitution,” it said.

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