Justice Bako was removed barely two weeks after the panel started sitting.

His removal is provoking comments on why the court is always having challenges with election petitions in Osun.

Although the removal of tribunal chairman is within the power of the appeal court’s president, political motives and intrigues were suspected to be behind Justice Bako’s removal.

The three-man tribunal began sitting on August 27, 2014 and has Justices A.M. Awwalu and Benson Ogbu as other members.

Investigation revealed that the redeployment, which was effected on Wednesday, caught Justice Bako and other members unawares. Besides the verbal notice, an official letter would be dispatched to the tribunal next week after a formal pronouncement by the court on Monday.

A top source said: “Members of the tribunal have been informed that the chairman has been redeployed to another panel based on a petition written by some people.

“We do not know the contents of the petition, but the change will be made known to the counsel to parties when the tribunal resumes sitting next week.

“I do not think the petition has anything to do with the impeccable integrity of the chairman. It might just be part of steps to serve justice judiciously.

“You know the stake is high in Osun State. Politicians will never be satisfied even if you make their relations members of election petition tribunal.”

A source said: “Some judges at the appellate court have cultural/ marital affinity with some stalwarts of one of the parties before the tribunal.

“We just hope that the cultural and marital links will not determine who should preside over a tribunal or where the pendulum of justice will swing in Osun.

“They need to know that everyone is watching with keen development on how justice will be served in Osun as regards the August 9 governorship poll.

It was however learnt that the development has caused anxiety at the Court of Appeal.”

Another source said: “We are worried that politicians want to throw the Appellate Court into another round of crisis like the long-drawn one on the 2007 poll which created a crisis of confidence in the nation’s judiciary.

“For instance, no one has seen the petition. It is also unclear if the members of the tribunal were availed the copy of the petition and whether the chairman was allowed to defend himself or not.

“The indications from the tribunal have shown that the members were kept in the dark about the petition. If there are issues, members of the tribunal, litigants and their counsel should know.

“When her Lordship was at the Court of Appeal in Jos, Plateau State, a petition was written against her by the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and its chairman, Lt.-General Jeremiah Useni (rtd).

“The then Chief Justice of the Federation and NJC Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi, queried her and she was creditably discharged and acquitted. The entire process of the phantom petition and her travails were put in the public domain. Today, she is better for it because Nigerians can attest to her integrity.

“All parties and stakeholders need to know what has gone wrong in Osun to have warranted the change of the tribunal chairman.”

Public Relations Officer of the Court of Appeal Hajiya Saudatu Kachalla said: “I will check with the authority.”

The National Judicial Council (NJC) last year recommended Justice T. D. Naron for compulsory retirement based on the findings of the committee that there were constant and regular voice calls and exchange of SMS messages between him and a lead counsel for one of the parties (Oyinlola) to the suit in the Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal.

The calls were said to be contrary to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers vide Section 292(1((b) of the 1999 Constitution.

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Thursday’s plenary drew the curtains on the almost five-month conference which was characterised by heated debates, political maneuvering and caucus meetings by various interest groups.

President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated the conference on March 17, 2014.

The peaceful end to the conference came as a surprise to many as northern delegates who had maintained a hard stance on some aspects of the report, especially the ‘draft constitution, participated fully in adopting the document .

The opinion during the plenary was that the political maneuvering by the Chairman of the conference, Justice Idris Kutigi, made the angry delegates to sheath their swords.

Sources said that Kutigi had meetings with the leaders of the various zones on Wednesday where several issues were addressed.

One of the sources said it was during the meetings that a decision was reached that a motion should be moved at the plenary to change the title of one of the volumes of the reports from ‘draft constitution” to “ proposed amendments to the 1999 Constitution.”

At the plenary on Thursday, a delegate from Yobe State, Maina Waziri, therefore moved the motion for this correction.

Waziri’s motion read, “To cultivate a conducive environment for delegates to validate and adopt the final report of the conference, we the undersigned delegates, hereby offer and endorse the following observations and recommendation that seek to facilitate the process and lead to amicable ending of the conference proceedings.

“We note that the secretariat of the conference on August 11, 2014 tabled before delegates a draft report contained in three volumes that are broken down in seven chapters

“In particular, we observed that volume III titled draft constitution, conveys an attempt to insert various resolutions and recommendations of a constitutional nature that were adopted by the conference as proposed amendments to the appropriate sections of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

“We recall and welcome the clarification and confirmation offered by conference chairman at plenary on August 13, 2014 that indeed Volume III contains proposals for the amendment of the 1999 Constitution.

“We urge the leadership of the conference, in collating the final report, to more appropriately designate Volume 111 as: Draft Proposals to Amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

“Furthermore, we note and welcome the amenability of the conference secretariat to entertain suggestions from the delegates that point out any specific error to misrepresentation of decisions taken or resolutions adopted by the conference and/or any inadvertent failure to incorporate same in the draft report.

“We are aware that delegates have responded to this call and submitted to the Secretariat their various observations and suggested amendments to the draft.

“In preparing the final report, we urged the conference secretariat to keep faith with and reflect fully and accurately all resolutions and recommendations accepted by the conference and as contained in votes and preceding that were formally adopted.

“Subject to the acceptance of the foregoing understanding, assurances and conditions and in accordance with the Procedure Rules, 2014 of the conference, we move for the validation and adoption of the draft reports contained in volume 1,2 and 3 without further debate.

“In the spirit of the consensus building cultivated by members and to maintain the bridges built during the currency of the conference, we urge all delegates to subscribe to this plea.”

The motion, when put to voice vote separately by the chairman received a unanimous acceptance by the delegates.

Another motion had earlier been moved to “mandate the secretariat to vet and effect amendment” to the three reports prepared by the secretariat.

The motion was sponsored by Jerry Okwuonu and a former Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili.

The motion says, “Whereas the secretariat has done a very marvelous job of compiling the report of the Conference and presenting same to us in easily readable and cross-checkable format; and

“Whereas delegates have perused all the reports and submitted in writing all items of omission or incorrect addition to the final report; and

“Bearing in mind the dual necessity of bringing the conference to a close for purposes of not unduly over-reaching the logistics provision of the conference and not unnecessarily prolonging the continued conglomeration of people in contradiction to the prescription of Health Authorities especially as the country tackles the Ebola crisis.

“It is hereby moved that the secretariat be mandated to vet all the written submission by delegates and make necessary correction thereby providing the final draft of the Conference reports”.

After the adoption of these motions, the delegates spontaneously stood up and enthusiastically sang the old National Anthem “Nigeria We Hail Thee”.

The chairman then called on Richard Akinjide (SAN) to formally move a motion for the adoption of the final conference report.

Akinjide, while moving the motion, said it was an honour to be called upon to move a motion for the adoption of the final report of a “very successful conference”.

The youngest delegate to the Conference, 24-year old Miss Yadoma Mandara, seconded the motion.

Shortly after, delgates took turns to pour encomium on the leadership of the conference for their maturity in steering the conference proceedings.

Former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah gave the vote of thanks which received spontaneous applause from delegates.

A delegate representing the South-South, Orok Duke, read out a farewell poem titled “How Can We Say Farewell,” to the delegates.

After adoption of Votes and Proceedings for the day based on a motion by Josephine Anenih and seconded by Dr. Bello Mohammed, Kutigi called on the Lamido Adamawa, Mohammed Mustapha, to move a motion for the closure of the conference.

Mike Ahamba (SAN), who seconded the motion, said Thursday was a day of pride and honour because “when we came here, nobody expected us to end this conference. We have disappointed skeptics.”

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Each delegate arrived the Conference hall armed with huge files of the resolutions captured in two volumes and another volume containing proposed alterations to the 1999 Constitution as adopted by the Conference.

However, the sitting lasted for just a few minutes as the leadership of the Conference, led by the Chairman and retired Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Kutigi, announced plans for accelerated handling of final approval of the draft resolutions.

The Chairman, flanked by his deputy, Bolaji Akinyemi,a professor, the Conference Secretary, Valerie-Jenete Azinge and the other three principal officers, delightfully welcomed the delegates back to the Conference.

According to the statement by Akpandem James, Assistant Secretary, Media and Communications, the Confab chairman apologized for the postponement of resumption from August 4 to August 11, explaining that it was due to the enormous work that needed to be done to ensure the completion of the draft resolutions.

Justice Kutugi reassured delegates of the inviolability of the draft resolutions; adding: “If there are any errors, they are human errors and not an attempt by the leadership to any play game.”

He further stated that the draft reports of the Conference prepared by the Secretariat were done “to the best of our ability and with all honesty and diligence”.

However, he said, as humans, there could be noticeable errors that would be corrected if brought to the attention of the secretariat. “Any mistake is due to human error and can be corrected,” he said.

The chairman said in line with the resolution of the Conference, the reports were prepared to cover constitutional issues based on amendments agreed upon by the delegates; policy issues meant for implementation by the President; and legislative issues earmarked for enactment into laws by the National Assembly.

Justice Kutigi explained that the copy labeled “draft constitution” contained the various alterations and amendments to the 1999 Constitution “proposed by you”.

After the brief address, delegates applauded the chairman, signifying their agreement with his explanation and readiness to discuss and approve the draft reports.

Justice Kutigi immediately went ahead to spell out the procedure to be adopted by the Conference for consideration and approval of the different reports.

He said after considering several options towards resolving issues emanating from the reports within the shortest possible time and without problems, the leadership came to the conclusion that the smooth but detailed method adopted in handling committees’ reports should be applied.

He said all groups and individuals should study the report and diligently write out areas that needed to be corrected and submit them to the Conference Secretariat for compilation and presentation to the Conference when delegates reconvene on Thursday.

The Chairman said when such comments are compiled, they would be read out on the floor and would either be adopted or rejected by the Conference in plenary for final adoption of the report.

To further enhance and smoothen the process of approving the draft report prepared by the Secretariat, the Chairman summoned a meeting of leaders of delegation from the geo-political zones to discuss certain critical issues.

Both proposals were unanimously accepted by the Conference in plenary without any objection while delegates agreed to meet again on Thursday to practically begin the process of approving the reports.

Before adjourning the session, Justice Kutigi announced the presence of a new delegate, Supo Shonibare, who replaced Olaniwun Ajayi from the South West; and the death of Professor Mohammed Nur Alkali.

During separate meetings with the leaders of the northern and southern delegation, the Conference management was commended for producing a magnificent report within a short space of them.

Meanwhile, Northern delegates on Wednesday took their anger against the ‘draft constitution’ by the National Conference farther by writing a protest letter to the Chairman of the conference, Justice Idris Kutigi.

In the letter, they asked Kutigi to withdraw the document from circulation because its content should not be debated .

“New Constitution, referendum and adoption of conference report: Issues of serious concern,” was signed by the Chairman and Co-Chairman of the Northern Delegates Forum, Ibrahim Coomasie and Gen. Jeremiah Useni (retd.).

The letter reads in part, “We call upon the leadership of the conference to discountenance and withdraw the ‘draft Constitution’ and the accompanying bills which have been circulated.

“We urge the conference leadership to table the draft conference report which contains only the resolutions openly and officially sanctioned and adopted by delegates for validation and adoption as provided for under the National Conference Procedure Rules, 2014 and as envisaged in the Work Plan adopted.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we shall not be a party to the adoption of the report or any part thereof by voice vote. We urge the leadership of the conference to be strictly guided by the Conference Procedure Rules, 2014.”

They said they were shocked when the Secretary of the Conference, Dr. Valerie Azinge, distributed some documents, including one entitled, “Report of the National Conference, 2014 draft constitution” which they said was also accompanied by draft bills to promulgate into law the “constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2014.”

The Northern delegates claimed in the letter that none of them was privy to any decision and did not participate in any processes or proceedings that led to the emergence of the ‘draft constitution’ or bills.

The delegates added that they had previously expressed their objections to any such project under any guise. “Moreover and to the best of our knowledge, we are unaware that the conference has, whether at plenary or committee stages of its work, taken a decision to draw up a draft Constitution, authorized or tasked any of its Committees, delegates or the conference secretariat to do so,” they said.

The aggrieved delegates wondered why the ‘suspicious document’ contained extraneous issues, and such issues, according to them, were various provisions pertaining to state creation, boundary adjustment, referendum to adopt constitution, funding of local government areas, and deletion of Land Use Act as well as the abrogation of all existing laws, which were contained in the contentious draft.

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The delegates alleged that the draft Constitution as prepared by the Justice Idris Kutigi led Secretariat was a third term agenda designed primarily to allow for President Jonathan, other incumbent elective office holders whom they alleged as not qualified to contest to run for the election.

They warned that if allowed to sail through, it has the potential of throwing the country into violence and anarchy.

Addressing Journalists Tuesday at Gombe Jewel Hotel, Wuse 11, Abuja, Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF and former Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Coomasie warned that if the document which he described as a third term agenda was not killed at the conference, it would like in 2005, lead to anarchy, violence and chaos.

The northern delegates who distanced themselves from the draft Constitution, however noted that its appearance on Monday was a surprise to them stressing that as members of the National Conference and by constitution, it was not within the purview of delegates to draft a new constitution, adding that the document was illegal

“Given the observation under (iv) above, adopting a new Constitution is therefore calculated to enable incumbent elective office holders who are statute-barred from going for 3rd Term at both Federal and State levels, to run for offices again under the guise of running under a new Constitution.

“This will also have the consequential effect of depriving aspiring politicians from all political parties, as well as all Nigerians, of their rights to choices and preferences as enshrined in the constitution.

“If not arrested, the 3rd Term agenda, as in the past (2005), is capable of plunging Nigeria into another circle of political chaos with potential of violence and anarchy.

“We, Northern Delegates to the Conference wish to assure patriotic Nigerians, and all lovers of democracy, that we are neither privy to, nor were we accessory to the emergence of the controversial “New Draft Constitution 2014″.

“We, therefore, unequivocally disown it, and emphatically disassociate ourselves from it. Accordingly, we will have nothing to do with it, for the following legal, moral and political reasons:

“Delegates to the conference were not elected, and therefore lack both legal, and moral authority to draft a new constitution for the Nigerian Federation. Rather, we were constituted to serve as an ad hoc advisory mechanism for to The President, as representatives of broad interests across the federation, and cannot, therefore, legally arrogate ourselves the far-reaching function of making a “new” constitution for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That can only be done by an appropriately constituted Constituent Assembly.

“The Secretariat of the Conference has indicated in chapter 7 of the draft Report Vol. 1 that the so called ‘new Constitution’ is to be brought into effect through a national referendum to be specifically held for the purpose.

“To this we say, without any fear of contradiction, that there is no legal provision in our Constitution for the holding of such a referendum. The reference to a referendum, made by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in his inauguration address at the National Conference on 17th March 2014, was purely speculative, as it was predicated on the National Assembly introducing a provision in the Constitution that will permit the holding of referendum.

“… if at the end of the de liberation the need for a referendum arises”. We want to say, with authority, that such a proposal has since been turned down by the National Assembly. Inquiries at both the Senate and House of Representatives have since shown that efforts at tabling the case for referendum, through private member-bills, were rejected twice, and cannot, therefore, be reintroduced in the life of the present Senate.

“From the foregoing, it is now abundantly clear that the conference has been infiltrated by fifth -columnists whose goal is to subvert democratic processes and plunge the country into deeper, but avoidable political Crisis.
(iv) To all intent and purposes, the introduction of a “new Constitution 2014″ for Nigeria, is a calculated attempt by some people to take advantage of Court of Appeal’s ruling in 2003, as delivered by Justice George Adesola Oguntade, (JCA as he then was) in the celebrated case of Attorney-General of the Federation Vs. ANPP, and Others (A.G, Fed. v. A.N.P.P. [2003] 15 NWLR (Pt. 844).

“Wherein Governor Abubakar Abdu of Kogi State (then) was challenged over his eligibility to run for a second term in 2003, having had a first term which ended in May 2003. The contention was that having been champion and uphold democratic principles, as enshrined in the constitution and other legitimate sources of law-making,”
Coomasie said.

It would be recalled that as delegates resumed plenary on Monday after a month break, the Conference Secretariat prepared a draft Constitution to be sent to the National Assembly which was distributed along side the Bill and two volumes of the final report of the Conference to delegates. It contained some alterations in the Constitution as part of the recommendations during Committee sittings and plenary.

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The National Conference had last Thursday endorsed the carving out of 19 new states from the existing ones but some delegates were said to be unhappy with the formula for a creating the additional states and were poised for showdown during Monday’s consideration of the minutes for the Thursday sitting.

Delegates had arrived early for the sitting, which was considered very important due to the controversies generated as a result of the considerations and decisions reached on other reports by the conference last week.

As a result of the reported anger by some delegates over this, the security operatives were stationed at the main entrance of the hall where the sitting took place.

Trouble started when Yusuf Abubakar, from Sokoto State, drew the attention of the chairman of the conference, Justice Idris Kutigi, to the letter he said delegates from the northern part of the country sent to him on some of the decisions taken in the past.

Kutigi had called delegates to suggest amendments or move for the adoption of the minutes of the debates and proceedings of Thursday.

“Mr. Chairman, it is very important to let us know your reply and we are serious about the issues we raised in the letter. We cannot adopt the minutes without hearing from you,” Abubakar said.

He reminded the conference that it must abide by its rules, which provide for unsatisfied delegates to call for a division where such delegates are not pleased with the outcome of a voice vote.

The proposal for the creation of additional states was adopted via voice vote.

Kutigi however ignored Abubakar and called for any further amendment to the reports of the committee that recommended the creation of the new states but Abubakar insisted that the issue he raised must be addressed, saying that the conference had taken some decisions in error.

A Labour delegate, Issa Aremu, also faulted the recommendation for the creation of new states, saying that it was wrong to create more states when those in existence had been battling to pay the salaries of their workers.

This comment further emboldened Abubakar who stood up and said, “We are making an error because the proceedings are wrong.

“I won’t sit down because these are fundamental issues. It is my privilege under Order 10 Rule One that says all decisions shall be by consensus or be decided by 70 per cent of delegates present. I called for a division, but we are being ignored. We have to use the law and not convention.”

At this point, Kutigi became angry and said, “I can rule you out of order. I then rule you out of order.”

A former Minister of Women Affairs, Josephine Anenih, advised the delegates to mind the way they speak, just as she advised the chairman “not to allow anyone raise your blood pressure; we don’t have to die because we want to make Nigeria great.”

Another delegate, Aisha Madawaki, wondered how the names of the states were arrived at and demanded the modalities used, insisting that the delegates were not consulted.

Abdulsalam Olawale, in his submission, said it was wrong for the conference not to have named Ose as one of the states to be created, saying all the people from the area where the proposed state would be created had agreed to its creation.

Robert Audu told the conference that the compilation of the states to be created was fraudulent, saying the list did not emanate from any of the conference committees.

A traditional ruler from the South-West, Oba Aderemi Adedapo, insisted that Oduduwa State was on the list of the states recommended to be created.

He said, “The agitation for the creation of this state, whose capital would be in Ile-Ife, has been on for the past 30 years. We want the state; every Yoruba believes that he hails from Ile -Ife.”

Senator Ibrahim Idah also queried the allocation of two states to the North-West, saying the zone remained the most populated in the country, just as Talatu Nasir from Katsina State, wondered why states like Kaduna were omitted.

As delegates were booing many of the speakers, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari appealed to delegates to stop shouting down other delegates even if they did not agree with the views being expressed.

He reminded them and the conference leadership that the Northern Delegates Forum had drawn the attention of the conference leadership to the abuse of the voice votes and that they felt very strongly that amendments should not be considered as the final outcome of the conference.

He said the conference leadership promised to look into the matter and urged the leadership to continue to guide the conference well.

A former Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, regretted the action of some delegates, which he said was becoming negative when the conference was winding down.

In anger, he said it was wrong for anyone or tribe to assume that Nigeria belonged to them.

Clark said, “This country called Nigeria was made up of equal citizens, and that was the basis of its amalgamation. We are all the same and no one is bigger than the other.

“We have children that went to some of the best schools in the world, so, no one should come to flaunt his professorship here. No one must insist that only his point of view should be reflected.”

He particularly frowned on Prof. Awwalu Yadudu’s letter to another delegate, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, in which Yadudu said delegates from the north were withdrawing from a committee of 18 delegates who met earlier to arrive at positions on behalf of all the zones.

Another former minister, who was also a former Acting National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Haliru Mohammed, said though he agreed that consensus had been reached on the committee report and that the conference should stick to it.

“The report of the committee is not sacrosanct and we should be allowed to meet and talk on issues that are not agreeable,” he said amid shout of ‘no, no,’ by some delegates.

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Igbeke’s name was announced to the plenary by the Chairman of the Conference, retired Justice Idris Kutigi amidst applause by fellow delegates.

The Senator who represented Anambra North Senatorial District on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party was earlier sited by journalists on Tuesday evening when he came to finalize his documentation with the Conference Secretariat.

He later confirmed that he has replaced Akunyili in the confab.

Akunyili, a delegate representing Anambra State in the confab and former Director-General of the National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration died on Saturday June 7, and was the third delegate to die since the inauguration of the confab by President Goodluck Jonathan.

She was said to have died in a specialist Hospital in India “after a two-year battle with cancer.”

Ex-Governor Peter Obi who confirmed her death said, “In spite her illness, Prof. Akunyili was unwavering in her belief in a better Nigeria. That was why she defied her condition and was part of Anambra State Handover Committee and the National Conference.

“The last time I visited her in India, even when she needed all the prayers herself, she was full of concern for the abducted Chibok girls, security and other challenges facing the country and told me that she remained prayerful for the release of those girls and for God to help President Goodluck Jonathan to overcome all the challenges facing the Nation.

“She therefore urged all Nigerians to remain prayerful and committed to building a better society for our children. We all prayed together and I promised to be visiting her every month.

“We thank all those who remain fervent in prayers for her recovery and urge them to remain prayerful for the peaceful repose of her soul.”

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Baba, a delegate from Gombe State representing NAWOJ at the conference had left her seat for another when another delegate, Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN), unsure of her identity, raised an alarm.

Ahamba said that “Chairman, there is a woman sitting here. She is not a delegate. She has no name and tag to identify her,” stressing that it was a security risk, more so, when she veiled her face.

He said that she could not be identified as a delegate and if she was one, she should go to her seat rather than occupying another person’s seat.

Provoked, Baba, reacted by saying that Ahamba’s statement was irresponsible. “This is the height of irresponsibility. Is it because I am wearing a veil?” she asked.

The development attracted the conference’s attention and the shouts of “it is enough” rent the air. But Ahamba wouldn’t give up as he insisted that the woman should go to her seat.

At this point, the Vice Chairman, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, who was in-charge of proceeding directed her to obey the rules of the conference, get her tags or leave the hall.

A little hesitation on Baba’s path to obey the instruction prompted the leadership to call in two police officers to escort her to the door.

Baba, who had returned to her designated seat at this time, however, sat tight on her seat until some intervention came from some delegates especially the women, who encouraged her to obey the instructions.

When calm finally returned, Professor Akinyemi insisted that the rules must be followed.

Speaking shortly afterwards, another delegate, Professor Auwalu Yadudu regretted the treatment meted to Baba, saying that her movement to another seat was a common thing among delegates.

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The motion, which was moved by Orok Duke, saw the delegates divided along regional lines as those from the southern Nigeria favoured the motion while those from the North rejected it.

Those who were opposed to the motion, led by a representative of the civil society, Mallam Nasir Kura, were shouting “no!, no!”

The reaction led to a rowdy session, which attracted the attention of security men and others, even outside the plenary.

The mover of the motion, Duke, said that apart from Abiola, others that died as a result of the annulment of the election deserved to be honoured.

He specifically asked for the permission of the plenary to pay tributes to all those who died, including Abiola, who he described as the one who spearheaded Nigeria’s democracy.

Duke added that the conference should cause the authorities to always remember “June 12 as a watershed in the history of Nigeria.

“I suggest that a monument in tandem with what the conference had proposed for other heroes and heroines should be recommended in honour of MKO Abiola.”

His motion did not go down well with some delegates as they continued with the shouts of no, no. But for the quick intervention of the Chairman of the conference, Justice Idris Kutigi, the disagreement might have probably led to a free-for-all among the delegates.

The anti-June 12 delegates, which included Umaru Mohammed Hadejia, representing Jigawa State, continued their opposition to the motion, but Duke refused to be intimidated.

He argued that the country could not afford to carry on as if June 12 never existed, and further argued that many Nigerians died on that day.

“June 12 is a preamble as to why we are here today, it is for the continuation of an unfinished business of 1993 that we are here. Moshood Abiola paid that ultimate sacrifice and it is not something we can wish away and assume that it never happened to us.

“I was an active participant, and some of the delegates here were victims of June 12. If we forget history it will repeat itself as a tragedy. Those who fell for the sake of June 12 should be remembered today.”

Duke’s motion was supported by Chief Ayo Adebanjo, who said he was disappointed by the opposition from some delegates to the motion.

He said, “It is unfortunate that even members of this assembly, particularly those of us who were victims of Abacha, regard June 12, 1993 as a mere issue.

“I think the delegate who raised this motion should be praised rather than vilified. Without June 12 there will be no May 29. June 12 is the basis of our freedom and democracy and we should remember the day for what it is worth.”

The Deputy National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Issa Aremu, agreed, adding that the best way to remember June 12 would be to have a free and fair elections in 2015.

Aremu said, “What we are seeing today shows we have not learnt from what happened on June 12. Elections are still becoming a do or die affair with a lot of unnecessary and avoidable violence.

“The real memory of June 12 to be significant for all of us and for us to make it worthwhile is to reaffirm our commitment to free and fair elections in Nigeria.”

But Hadejia described the motion as “irrelevant” and an attempt aimed at wasting the time of the conference.

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The Vice Chairman of the Conference, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, who made the announcement on resumption of plenary on Wednesday morning, said that the deceased had been in hospital for a while which did not deter the Chairman, a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) from his obligations at the National Conference.

Delegates were informed that prayers would be offered for the repose of the deceased at the National Mosque after which she would be interred.

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Kutigi, who made this known at the Thursday’s plenary, said that the leadership of the conference had requested for six weeks extension but an approval of four weeks was granted.

“After our sitting yesterday (Wednesday), we visited the Secretary to the Government of Federation and we were informed that the government only granted us four weeks extension. We have asked for six but we were given only four weeks.

“In that regard we have to get our programmes tight up because I think the conference will now end on July 31. Due to the time factor, the conference management feels we should request from the delegates whether you are prepared to put in extra sitting hours on Fridays and Saturdays?

“I know you did a lot during the committee stage, now is the final stage we also need the same sacrifices from you. We are requesting for additional sittings on Fridays and Saturdays,” Kutigi said.

The request was unanimously rejected by the delegates with some suggesting other ways to fast track the conference decisions and gain more time for deliberations.

Dr Bello Muhammed, representing Kebbi State, said there was no need for an extension in the sitting time if the conference could come up with a right procedure in deliberating and adopting various committees’ recommendations.

Esther Gonda, representing Plateau State, suggested that the two hours alloted for lunch should be reduced to one, “because I have observed that some of us finish eating by 3 p.m.”

Mike Ozekhome, an addendum delegate, who also agreed that the time for lunch should be reduced, suggested that the time allotted to each delegate to speak on a matter should be reduced to three minutes.

“We should also sit by 9 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. which is the normal time parliamentarians and courts sit across the world,” Ozekhome said.

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