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NaijaGist Nigeria

This blog is about my views on Nigeria, the world, and technology.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

NIGERIA: CONGRATULATIONS NIGERIANS AS THI, RD-TERM BID IS FORCED INTO COMA.

On Tuesday the 16th of May 2006, the Nigerian senate blocked further deliberation on the constitution amendment bill. The senate decided that the review of the 1999 constitution be halted. This finally brings to an end, the attempt at tenure elongation that would have given president Obasanjo a third-term in office.

The third-term bid was opposed by Nigerians from the very first day that the alarm was raised, therefore the jubilation shown by Nigerians on it’s demise might not have come as a surprise. Nigerians were watching helplessly as their rights were being trampled by power hungry politicians whose only ambition is to remain in power.

The move by the Nigerian senate and later by the house of representatives to halt the constitution amendment, which brought to an end the third-term bid, has renewed my confidence on this country called Nigeria. The news of the demise of the third-term bid came as a surprise to most Nigerians. We never expected the third –term bid to end so suddenly.

Democracy is alive and well in Nigeria.The National assembly, which is the second arm of government has found it’s voice in the Nigerian state. At long last Nigeria has got a national assembly the will listen to and defend the interest of Nigerians. Nigeria now has a national assembly that will uphold and defend her constitution.

In my opinion, the demise of the third-term bid is the greatest dividend of the Nigerian democracy so far. Nigerians are now more confident that their opinions count. This will encourage them to voice their opinions in future whenever the occasion calls for it.

The third-term battle has produced an independent national assembly that will defend the Nigerian democracy. It is my hope that this independence will also be given to the Nigerian Judiciary (the third arm of the Nigerian state) and the other tiers of government in Nigeria.

Now that the third-term battle is over, it is my hope that the national assembly and the other arms of government in Nigeria will put everything in place to ensure a free and fair election cone April 2007.

Nigerians should celebrate the demise of the third-term bid, but we must be vigilante in order to fight any attempt to resurrect it. Nigerians must be reminded that those benefiting from the present state of affairs will not give up easily. The third-term bid is currently in coma, but for how long? It is the duty of every Nigerians to ensure that the bid stays in coma forever.