By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor
LAGOS — The General Muhammadu Buhari-led Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, yesterday, accused the Federal Government of employing underhand schemes to foist the single term proposal on Nigerians. It said  the Federal Government has suspended governance to pursue the agenda.

The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Rotimi Fashakin, referred to what it claimed as a meeting on Thursday between Presidency officials and certain opposition parties where the single term proposal is expected to be discussed. Fashakin said CPC had been shut out of participation in the meeting because of its known opposition, adding that democracy stakeholders should be vigilance.

Special Adviser to the President on Media, Mr. Reuben Abati, however, decried the claim, saying ongoing consultations by the presidency were in phases and that the CPC would not be neglected.

He said the process of amending the constitution would not be made a partisan, nothing that it would be made the responsibility of all Nigerians.

Abati said the meeting scheduled for Thursday was a meeting of the Inter Parliamentary Committee, IPAC, with the President, saying meeting, which has been postponed, has nothing to do with the single term proposal.

Alleging that the presidency had set up machinery to foist the proposal on Nigerians, the CPC said: “As the CPC had noted that this proposed legislation in infamy is an affront on the sovereignty of the Nigerian people as enshrined in the subsisting constitution; the PDP-led Federal Government has temporarily suspended urgent matters of the state to pursue this infernal agenda.

“In the latest effort, the Presidency, as a way to smoothen the Sail of this iniquitous plan in the nations’ legislative houses, has invited certain opposition parties (excluding CPC) to a parley on Thursday the 11th August, 2011”

“The pertinent question agitating the minds of our people is: if indeed there are no selfish underpinnings to this proposal, why the temporary suspension of governance to give strident devotion to its implementation? Furthermore, with the litany of challenges besetting the Nigerian polity, should this be the priority at this time? Definitely, there are more questions than answers!”

“We are therefore making a fresh call on the Nigerian people to be wary on this subterfuge being employed by the PDP-led Federal government. We must remember that: eternal vigilance is the price for our freedom.”

Responding yesterday, Abati said:

“There is no intention whatsoever to exclude the CPC, there is no way the CPC can be excluded. What the President has said is that he will consult widely and the consultation is usually in stages.

If this is the first of the meetings I think CPC should not jump to the conclusion that it has been excluded, off course there is no way CPC will be excluded and nobody has any such intention because constitutional amendment is the responsibility of all Nigerians, it is not a partisan issue whatsoever and it should not be seen as a partisan issue because the constitution about the sovereignty of the Nigerian people and the Nigerian State,” he said last night.