CONFAB; SOUTH, MIDDLE BELT, CALL THE BLUFF OF THE FAR NORTH

After days of grandstanding and fierce opposition to the new draft constitution, delegates from the north (North-east and North-west) at the just concluded Na­tional Conference on Thursday made a u-turn. The sudden u-turn did not come without strong back room politicking and building of consensus by delegates from the south and their North-central coun­terparts.

The interplay started on Monday, soon after delegates reconvened from a 3-week break. Secretary of the Confer­ence, Mrs Valerie Azinge had stood in for the chairman, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi. She had told delegates that plenary was not going to hold in order to enable them study three voluminous documents that had been distributed to them.
“There will be no sitting until Wednes­day,” she announced. “The chairman has asked me to inform that the documents given to you should be studied carefully and deliberations will start on Wednesday.
“You are supposed to have the main re­port which contains two volumes. There is a bound draft constitution. In it, you have the current Nigerian constitution. The sec­ond column contains all the amendments made on this floor.
“The third fusion contains all amend­ments that you suggested. You also have a bill that will be used to introduce it as an amendment.
“In the event that you do not have the documents that I have mentioned, kindly approach us in the secretariat, and we will give them to you. We have the documents. It is not easy to distribute all the docu­ments,” she had added.
One of the documents was tagged “New Draft Constitution 2014”. Soon after her announcement, delegates kicked, demand­ing for explanations from the Conference secretariat on the origin of the draft consti­tution. Although southern delegates equal­ly expressed shock over the development, northern delegates apparently vented out their anger.
Sani Zoro, a northern delegate queried the source of the draft constitution. He had said: “Some have called this a strange doc­ument. We are going to go through them and we will reconvene here to deliberate on it. I just want to ask about the where about of the chairman and his depu ty. In this era of Ebola virus, one needs to be sure that they are okay. There is need to ask af­ter them.”
According to several others that spoke after the Conference adjourned till last Wednesday, the new constitution which is part of the voluminous documents dis­tributed were not part of what was agreed upon before they went on a long break.
Northern delegates, not ready to give the Conference secretariat a soft landing, called a press conference where they al­leged that the draft constitution was Presi­dent Goodluck Jonathan’s covert plan of gunning for third term in office. Their stance was supported by other northern leaders and governors.
Prepared and ready to engage their southern counterparts in a free for all war during plenary last Wednesday, Northern delegates came prepared. Their Plans to sabotage the proceedings were jettisoned by the chairman of the Conference, Justice Kutigi.
Kutigi who presided over the brief meet­ing before delegates adjourned again till last Thursday, maintained that contrary to condemnation by core n orthern delegates that had trailed the draft constitution which was distributed to members on Monday, there was no plan by the leadership of the Conference to draft a new constitution for the country.
Not ready to allow their northern col­leagues to take the lead, delegates from North-central, South-east, South-south and South-west teamed up in a counter move to frustrate plans by delegates from North-east and North-west to sabotage the final consideration of the Conference reports.
Kutigi’s smart move on Wednesday also saved the Conference from unnecessary fireworks. Prior to Wednesday’s proceed­ings, core northern delegates had drafted a proposal which they had planned to read during the meeting and then submit same to the secretariat.
Sensing that there was going to be trou­ble, Kutigi told delegates that they could submit their grievances ab out any section of the draft documents to the Conference secretariat, after which the necessary cor­rections would be effected. While his sug­gestion received applause from southern and middle-belt delegates, core northern delegates kicked and insisted on raising the issues during plenary.
In his brief remarks, Kutigi had told the Conference: “I welcome you back after the break of the past two weeks. We are in our final lap of the Conference. I apologise for the inconveniences you might have expe­rienced for the shift in date of our resump­tion.
“When you look at the heavy volume made out of the draft report, the notes and proceedings, as well as the 1999 constitu­tion, with amendment, proposed by you, then you will understand the amount of work we undertook in preparation for this week’s meeting.
“Let me at this stage, stress this point. We have prepared this draft report to the best of our ability and with all honesty. But we are human beings who can make mis­takes.
“We are therefore making available cop­ies of the draft so that if we have any doubt about any issue, you can cross check. If you have any doubt at the veracity of any issue, you can cross check with the votes and proceedings and then raise the issue and corrections will be accepted.
“Let me repeat. We have prepared the main report with all honesty and diligence. Any mistake will be due to human error and without any ulterior motif.
”We have been thinking of how to go about it without having any problems. Since everybody has a copy of what we are to consider, everybody should write what he intends to correct and submit to the sec­retariat.
“We want you to write whatever correc­tion you have. Bring it to the secretariat and we will tabulate it. For that reason, we shall be suspending this session in order to allow delegates put down their remarks.”
Kutigi had also announced a fresh meeting with regional leaders in a move to break any hiccup that was going to arise during Thursday’s plenay when delegates reconvened to consider the final report of the Conference.
“I will be meeting the leaders of the dif­ferent delegations while other delegates write their comment on the report. Let us make it tomorrow (today) then so that the secretariat can tidy up the report for a final consideration,” he had announced.
Soon after the adjournment, southern leaders and their middle-belt counter­parts held a press conference where they openly condemned plans by any section of the country or individuals to sabotage the huge successes the Conference had recorded.
At the press conference, Chief Olu Fa­lae, represented the South-west, General Ike Nwanchukwu (retd) represented the South-east, Chief Edwin Clark represent­ed the South-south, while Mr John Dara stood in for North-central. The regional leaders had unanimously agreed that no individual or group inserted anything into the draft documents, as were being ru­moured by northern delegates. They had said those making the arguments were mischief makers who were bent on keep­ing the country hostage.
During the press conference, General Nwanchukwu said the Conference had succeeded in liberating minority groups in the country and had placed every Nigerian on the same level. He said for once, issues that have held the country down had fi­nally been resolved. The regional leaders had openly expressed their willingness to back the leadership of the Conference and added that anyone who felt aggrieved could formally write to the Conference leadership.
The leaders said there is no third term agenda as being rumoured by core north­ern delegates. Chief Falae said delegates from certain sections of the country are angry because the Conference has suc­ceeded in reversing the status quo.
With the new marriage between south­ern leaders and their middle-belt counter­parts, core northern delegates eventually ended up in the minority.
Last Thursday, after the Conference successfully adopted the revised draft resolutions, northern delegates who had vowed to shoot down the final report of the Conference, following what they termed as “plans to smuggle in new clauses”, over­whelmingly supported their colleagues from the south and middle-belt.
Addressing a similar  press conference on Thursday after the leadership of the National Conference officially declared the Conference closed, former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie said, contrary to views held by Nigerians, the north had always supported the Conference.
Although many northern delegates had always opposed many actions taken by the Conference leadership, Coomassie who spoke on behalf of Northern Delegates’ Forum (NDF), however declared that their actions were aimed at strengthening the outcome of the Conference.
Coomassie said their only grouse with the Conference leadership was the phrase “New Draft Constitution 2014.” He told journalists that some of their actions were misinterpreted. According to him, northern delegates were all working in the collective interest of Nigeria and Nigerians. He added that no part of the nation loves the country more than the other, as being peddled by some people.
Coomassie insisted that the final out­come of the Conference had proven their critics wrong. “We are working in the best interest of Nigeria and Nigerians,” Coo­massie had said.
With the official termination of the Con­ference, the new battle now shifts to the National Assembly where many northern delegates and their governors are believed to have infiltrated in a move to frustrate the report which is expected to be forward­ed by President Jonathan in the coming weeks. Although many northern delegates have openly denied the reports, others have openly expressed their desire to ensure that anything that works against the interest of the north is thwarted.
It is also uncertain if southern delegates and their middle-belt counterparts are mak­ing similar moves to garner the needed support in ensuring that the covert fresh warfare declared by many northern leaders doesn’t sail through.