Senator Musiliu Obanikoro
A
civil society group, All Nigeria Save Democracy Movement, has kicked
against the ministerial nomination of former Peoples Democratic Party
Lagos State governorship aspirant, Senator Musliu Obanikoro, by
President Goodluck Jonathan.
The group, in a petition to the Senate
President, David Mark, through Senators Gbenga Ashafa and Obafemi Ojudu,
listed several reasons Obanikoro was not qualified to become a
minister, a statement said on Sunday.
According to the group, Obanikoro is of
dual citizenship–USA and Nigeria – and going by the provisions of the
constitution, he should be disqualified for the post.
It said, “Section 147 (5) of the
Constitution, as amended, provides that no person shall be appointed as a
minister of the government of the federation unless he is qualified for
election as a member of the House of Representatives.
“Section 66 (1) (a) of the Constitution
also states that no person shall be qualified for election to the Senate
or the House of Representatives if – subject to the provisions of
Section 28 of the Constitution, he has voluntarily acquired the
citizenship to a country other than Nigeria or, except in such cases as
may be prescribed by the National Assembly, has made a declaration of
allegiance to such a country.
“These provisions are so clear as to
remove any ambiguity as to the spirit and letter of their
constitutional/legal implications. By these provisions alone, Musiliu
Obanikoro was not even qualified in the first instance to run for the
Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but managed to manipulate the
system to get himself elected into the Senate in 1999, which in itself
was fraudulent and criminal. As a matter of fact, his title of senator
should be nullified having obtained same fraudulently.”
Obanikoro had on October 15, 2014
resigned his ministerial appointment from the present administration in a
bid to contest the governorship primary of the PDP in Lagos, which he
lost to his rival, Jimi Agbaje.
After the loss, he was nominated the second time by the President for another ministerial position.
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