Teaching Comparative

Continuing the Nigeria theme

To us on the outside, the differences might seem subtle and the disputes obscure, but to insiders they are the essence of politics.

It seems that a legislative committee examining the charges that have kept Vice-President Abubakar (commonly called Atiku) off the ballot for the presidential election wrote a report casting suspicion on President Obasanjo as well. When presidential pressure seemed likely to bury the report, the committee members publicly resigned.

I'd guess this episode is bad news for the vice-president's ambitions to get back on the ballot for next month's election and is likely to be another bit of pressure to keep Obasanjo from delaying his departure.

We'll see.

The BBC report was short on details. Nigeria graft shock resignations

"Members of a Nigerian Senate committee probing graft allegations against the president and his deputy have resigned.

"They say Senate leaders were interfering with their investigations..."

The Guardian (Lagos) had almost too many details: Senate's PTDF panel quits in protest

"DISCOMFORTING tension pervaded the Senate yesterday as all members of its seven-man special review committee on the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) resigned, despite having concluded their assignment.

"They expressed fears over the decision by the leadership of the legislative chamber to shift debate on its work to a later date which, according to them, could jeopardise their findings...

"The mass resignation notwithstanding, a member of the committee disclosed the kernel of its recommendations: Sanctions on both President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

"Obasanjo and Abubakar have traded accusations over each other's management of the fund, designated for the development of the nation's petroleum technology, but which both leaders say has been used to satisfy private needs...

"The Ndoma-Egba Committee had recommended that Vice President Abubakar be sanctioned for the way he managed PTDF while President Obasanjo be chided for approving projects outside the laws establishing the Fund...

"Chairman of the Committee, Umar Tsauri, said yesterday... that he was shocked when the report of the Committee which was slated for tabling, was removed from the Order Paper without his knowledge... 'If that happens and we go on recess on Thursday, that means the report will only be considered in May when we resume from recess...'

"On why the review committee did not recommend commencing impeachment proceedings against Obasanjo and Atiku, the Katsina-born senator said: 'What you would do first is to look at national interest; everybody in Nigeria today is looking forward to elections and we have no powers to take such a decision.'..."


Vanguard (Lagos) reported on this as well: Senate in crisis as PTDF review panellists resign

Its article noted that, "The resignations of the members conveyed in a letter dated March 20, 2007, allegedly followed persistent pressure from the Senate President that the Committee present an advance copy of its report to the Senate leadership for vetting.

"The instruction of the Senate President reportedly followed pressure on him from the Presidency to intervene and save President Olusegun Obasanjo from the odium of an indictment by the review panel."

Labels: elections, Nigeria, politics

posted by Ken Wedding @ 8:17 AM