Senate Makes Jonathan Acting President

Senate Makes Jonathan Acting President

Seventy-eight days after President Yar’Adua left Nigeria for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, the Senate today endorsed Vice President Goodluck Jonathan as Acting President.

Jonathan does not have to be sworn-in to enable him discharge his functions as Acting President.

By this declaration, the Senate has effectively ended the political logjam created by the long absence of President Musa Yar’Adua.

In taking this decision today, the Senate relied on the telephone interview Yar’Adua granted the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, on Tuesday 12  January this year.

In that interview broadcast on the Hausa Service of the station, the ailing President said: “At the moment, I am undergoing treatment and I am getting better from the treatment. I hope that very soon, there will be tremendous progress, which will allow me to get back home. I wish, at this stage, to thank all Nigerians for their prayers for the nation.”

Since Yar’Adua failed to write to the National Assembly informing it of his trip for medical treatment and that his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan be sworn in as Acting President in accordance with Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution, the Senate had to rely on the BBC interview to confer the power to act as president on Jonathan.

After an initial close session that lasted about 45 minutes, Senator Yakubu Garba Lado (PDP Katsina) kicked against a motion moved by Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin and seconded by Deputy Senate Leader, Ike Ekweremadu, asking the Senate to rely on the BBC interview in place of a letter by the president asking the senate to swear-in Jonathan as Acting President.

Senator Lado maintained that the letter to the Senate must be in writing, adding that the motion smacked of mischief.

The Senate stood down all other items on the agenda for another legislative day in the course of debating the political impasse caused by Yar’Adua’s absence.

After today’s deliberations, Senator Smart Adeyemi said the nation can now move forward and emphasised the need to ignite a review of relevant sections of the constitution.

In his reaction, Senator Patrick Osakwe said he is optimistic the House of Representatives will also align with the Senate in the interest of the nation. Meanwhile, the Senate will meet with governors today in the Hearing Rm 301 of the Senate  Building.