President Shehu Musa Yar’adua came into office on the 29th of May 2007 harping on Respect for Rule of Law and the immediate redirection of Nigeria’s economy (from the bushy and pain-strewn paths of the Obasanjo’s Reforms) as the cornerstone of his administration. Coming from the anointed successor of the ‘Garrison- Commander-In-Chief’, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, his promises were received by Nigerian democrats with a pinch of salt and a very chilled bottle of Malt: “Yar’adua?” “Rule of Law?” “PDP?” It just didn’t fit at all. Sadly, recent events in Ondo State and the President’s hands in it have belied Yar’adua’s much-touted respect for the rule of law and constitutionality and given credence to the initial pessimism of discerning Nigerians to the President’s pledge.
On The Guardian of Tuesday, March 17th was a lead story captioned “Sacked Ondo Council Bosses Reinstates Selves”. The story went ahead to relate how “all the 18 local council Chairmen and their councilors, who had earlier been sacked by the new Labour Party (LP) Government in Ondo State, citing an order from the presidency, defied the dissolution order and resumed duties at the council secretariats with full security coverage from men of the Nigerian police”. The Chairmen and their councilors according to the report filed from Akure, the Ondo State Capital said the Presidency had ordered their return to work. Mind-boggling as this case of the Presidency’s interference in a state’s affair sounds, the report went further to state that the said order emanated not from an unknown or faceless official in the Presidency but from President Yar’adua himself.Reports, ( according to the Guardian) had it that Yar’adua after listening to the complaints of the leadership of the Ondo PDP who saw the dissolution as the death knell of the party in Ondo State, ordered the immediate reinstatement of the Chairmen. The President, while giving this (illegal) order was said to have been “piqued” by the illegal dissolution of the councils by Gov Mimiko. How ambiguous and paradoxical can our dear President get!
Now the much I know on the alleged dissolution of the 18 local councils executives is that the new Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko had on assumption of office dissolved the council’s executives and their councilors hinging his orders on the alleged non-compliance by the deposed former Gov, Olusegun Agagu with a restraining injunction by an Akure High Court against the conduct of the December 15, 2007 local council polls which brought them into office. I am not a ‘learned mind’ (as lawyers are wont to call themselves) but I know a little about the law to know what “Restraining Injunctions” are and from an “unlearned mind” point of view, I believe the Governor was right to dissolve the illegally constituted Council executives. I am also aware that the December 15 council polls was boycotted by virtually all opposition parties in Ondo State including the ruling Labour Party in deference to the restraining injunction from the Akure High Court, leaving the PDP to record an ‘unopposed’ landslide victory at the polls.
In the light of the above facts, I would like to use this medium to ask Mr. President a few questions: Mr. President, had the Mimiko administration been a PDP one and the sacked council bosses from an opposition party, would you have issued this reinstatement directive? Is it constitutional to issue a presidential fiat in a matter that is before a law court? Whither your rule of law and respect for the constitution? Do you think it is morally right Mr. President, for you to allow partisan political interest to becloud your actions as Head of State and Commander-in-Chief? Does this ‘Order’ which obviously stem from the fact that you as a member of the PDP, are afraid of your party loosing out as a major player in the politics of Ondo State, not contradicts your presidential oath to perform your duties without “fear or favour” and “in fairness to all?” Don’t you think the lawless manner, in which the 18 local council bosses resumed office in defiance of a superior arm of government, destroys the very tenets of the democracy you are sworn to protect? Is this part of your ‘re-branding Nigeria’ campaign? A country where local council Chairmen can openly defy their state Chief Executive because they have the support of a president who happened to be a member of their party? I need answers and I need them fast Mr. President!
We were all happy to see the back of former President Olusegun Obasanjo when he left office (albeit reluctantly and with many a backward glance!) and we‘d all hoped that his successor will be his direct opposite per respect for rule of law and as a statesman but unfortunately, President Shehu Musa Yar’adua is proving himself unable to rise above partisan interests and be the Statesman and leader of all Nigeria so desperately need. Or can he? Only time will tell.
Shehu Nurudin Umar
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