As reactions continue to trail calls by the founder of Afe
Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUA), Afe Babalola, SAN, for the suspension of
the 2023 election, the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday described as unfortunate that
such opinion is coming from a legal luminary.
Reacting to the development, Senate Spokesman, Senator
Bashir Ajibola said, in as much as Senate will not join issues with him, it is
very sad that such a comment is coming from a legal luminary that is so much
respected by the people.
The Senate said the legal luminary might be offering his
opinion against his knowledge of the law, as the procedure for amending the
constitution to accommodate what he said, was clearly written.
Ajibola said: “Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution as amended
clearly states the procedure for amendment and as a lawyer, Afe Babalola
supposed to know all this.
“His comment is more political than legal and his
suggestions cannot stand in line with modern reality. For instance, pegging the
age of political offices is not in tandem with the provision of the
Constitution as it stands today and even the America that we are copying
doesn’t have such provision in their Constitution.
“On the job of a President is not a bricklayers job, it
involves intellect and vision for the development of the country.”
He further countered Babalola’s belief that legislators do
not have much to do, hence, they should be placed part-time, noting that
legislators do not only make laws but do other legislative activities including
oversight.
Speaking on the part-time legislators, he said the legal
luminary appears not to understand the workings of the legislature.
“We are not only making laws, but we carry out oversight
functions.
“We entertain the views of our constituents because we are
not in a military era where somebody with a military fiat will come out with a
new system of government without following due process,” he said.
He advised the Senior Advocate of Nigeria to wait till the
10th National Assembly before coming up with his personal opinion for
consideration.
“All these things would have been suggested during the call
for memoranda preparatory to Constitutional amendment. Unfortunately, he did
not come up with any suggestions during the ongoing Constitutional amendment.
“If he is so passionate about the suggestion he is making
now, he should wait for the next Assembly where he will have the opportunity to
submit his personal opinion for consideration,” he said.
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