Constitution Review: Group Vows Legal Action Against Public Officers

The Convener of Northern Conscience for 2023 (NC4’2023) and All Progressives Congress (APC) Chieftain, Garus Gololo, on Thursday in Abuja, cautioned the federal government against allowing serving cabinet members to run for elective positions in the general elections scheduled for next year.

Gololo’s warning followed a move by interested parties to allow some serving ministers and commissioners to contest elections while still in office.

In an interview on the consideration of the Senator Ovie Omo-Agege Committee report on the review of the 1999 Constitution, by the Senate, the APC Chieftain queried the rationale of allowing serving public officers to vie for elective posts, insisting that “it creates an avenue for them to use public funds for their selfish ambition.”

“The past administrations of President Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan did not allow cabinet members to contest for political offices while holding their appointments. Any Minister whose campaign poster is out should resign his position effective immediately, so as to respect himself, while also avoiding embarrassment,” he maintained.

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He alerted that “it is clear that by remaining in office while contesting the political position, you’ll intimidate your opponent. And then there wouldn’t be a free and fair election.”

While warning that the NC4’2023 was poised to take legal action against government functionaries using public funds to champion personal political interests, Dr Gololo wondered “is it hereditary for the Ministers under President Buhari to perpetuate themselves in office?”

“The masses will not take it. We have begun a nationwide sensitization campaign to galvanize Nigerians against this evil because it is clear that by remaining in office while contesting a political position, you’ll intimidate your opponent. And then there wouldn’t be a free and fair election.

So, we expect you to join others on a level playing ground. Otherwise, you are not ready to contest whatever political office you nurse the ambition to contest,” he insisted.

The Senate on Tuesday passed a total of 49 bills out of the 68 considered during voting on the Constitution Bills.

The bills were contained in report of the Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.

A total of 19 alteration bills failed to make passage during the voting exercise which lasted almost five hours during the plenary.

Some of the Bills passed by the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly have however come under intense condemnation with various groups barricading the main entrance to the National Assembly seeking review of the legislation.

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