NASS REPUBLIC: On growing calls for Kanu’s release. One other story, and a quote to remember

Recently, no fewer than 50 members of the House of Representatives appealed to President Bola Tinubu to order the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

We tracked one other story from the National Assembly (NASS) within the week under review.

1. On growing calls for Kanu’s release

In a letter, seen on June 23, about 50 House of Representatives members appealed to President Tinubu to invoke Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the Attorney-General of the Federation to discontinue criminal proceedings at any stage, in order to release Kanu.

“It is at the backdrop of the foregoing that we the undersigned hereby beseech Your Excellency to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN to invoke his powers of nolle prosequi under the provisions of Section 174(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended) and Section 107(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and cause the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from detention and discontinue his trial…” the letter reads in part.

Having come from different parts of the country, the unified posture of the lawmakers clearly lends credence to the argument that calls for Kanu’s release is one that has taken a national colouration.

The emerging common ground, therefore, reinforces long held views that only a political solution holds the best prospect of resolving the Kanu conundrum, and the general unrest that has gripped the South-East region.

Will Tinubu harken to the latest voices seeking Kanu’s political freedom, or will he remain obstinate like his predecessor, Muhammad Buhari, who ignored every entreaty to calm frayed nerves in the Southeast?

If he drags his feet and insists on the rule of law, what are the guarantees that the courts will act timeously, and independently, without watching the president’s body language? Too many conjectures which only time can resolve.

NASS MEMORY LANE

Who said;

“If you compare us, politicians, to all the corruption, it is very small. Our corruption is people-driven. If you steal, you will go and share it with the people. If you don’t, you are not coming back for four years. There is no reason for stealing.”

Answer: See end of post

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One other story

2. Dealing with national challenges

Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on June 27, affirmed that as lawmakers, they cannot overlook the burning problems afflicting the country.

“Our beloved Nigeria grapples with pressing issues that demand our immediate attention. We cannot turn a blind eye to the burning problems that afflict our great nation,” Akpabio told his colleagues as they resumed from hSallah break.

Akpabio’s remarks is typical of the Nigerian leadership, and serves mostly to create the impression that governance is taken very seriously.

Far from it, the Senate president’s comments is a reminder of the many lost opportunities that he, in particular, has had to redirect the affairs of governance through purposeful leadership.

If anything, Akpabio has proven by the many stories written about him that he is not the transformational leader he purports to be. Instead, the senate that he leads remains largely seen as an errand lad beholden to the dictates of the Nigerian presidency.

Answer: Senator Ali Ndume

Ndume made the statement on May 14, 2024, when he featured on Channels TV’s Politics Today. He is the current Chief Whip of the Senate.

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