NASS awaits Jonathan on VP

The Constitution vests power to select a new vice president solely on President Jonathan who was sworn in after the death of Late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua. Section 146 (3) of the 1999 Constitution only gives the parliament approval power on the name to be presented to it as the choice of Mr. President. The […]

The Constitution vests power to select a new vice president solely on President Jonathan who was sworn in after the death of Late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua.

Section 146 (3) of the 1999 Constitution only gives the parliament approval power on the name to be presented to it as the choice of Mr. President.

The section provides that “(3) Where the office of Vice-President becomes vacant: – (a) by reason of death or resignation, impeachment, permanent incapacity or removal in accordance with section 143 or 144 of this Constitution; (b) by his assumption of the office of President in accordance with subsection (1) of this section; or (c) for any other reason, the President shall nominate and, with the approval of each House of the National Assembly, appoint a new Vice-President.”

Speaking to Weekly Trust yesterday night, Vice Chairman Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Anthony Manzo (PDP, Taraba) said the choice of a vice president is the discretion of President Jonathan.

“Our role is to confirm his choice because the Constitution gives the sole power of nominating a person to that office to him. We can’t tell him who to nominate to that office. Ours is to wait for him to send a name and then we approve. Each House of the parliament would have to approve the nomination,” Manzo said

He added that the Constitution did not give a timeline within which the President must nominate a vice “So, I can’t say whether or not the name will get to us for approval on Tuesday, within the week or next week. But we are going to continue sitting next week and if we receive the name then we consider the approval as provided by the Constitution.”

Both chambers of the National Assembly are to hold special valedictory sessions for the Late President Yar’adua. Also commenting on the matter, Senator Ahmad Lawan (PDP, Yobe North) said “The House of Representatives has announced that it would hold its valedictory session Tuesday, I believe that same will happen in the Senate.”

Though the Constitution did not give a timeline for nomination of a vice president, it is expected that the office will be filled as soon as possible to avoid prolonged tussle within the polity that could distract the new President from focusing on governance. Several names have been linked to the nation’s number two job including, present Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, National Security Adviser (NSA) General Aliyu Gusau, Niger State governor, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, Jigawa governor, Sule Lamido, former anti-graft boss, Nuhu Ribadu, leading member of the pro-Jonathan National Interest Group (NIG) in the Senate, Senator Abubakar Umar Gada and nephew of the late president, Alhaji Murtala Shehu Yar’adua.

Jonathan is bound to pick a Muslim from the northern part of the country to balance the delicate political equation in the country.