ACF, others want national confab outcome subjected to referendum

The Arewa Consultative Forum suggested on Thursday that the outcome of the National Conference should be subjected to a referendum.
The National Publicity Secretary of the forum, Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Kaduna that Nigerians should be allowed to determine the decisions taken at the conference.
“It is our hope that at the end of the conference the recommendation would be subjected to a referendum, so that at the end of the day Nigerians can say that we have participated in the decision that may culminate into a new constitution,” Ibrahim said.
On his part, Alhaji Bala Yunusa, a member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, said the decisions taken should be subjected to legislation.
Yunusa said: “In our constitution there are two ways to enforce a law, it is either through legislation of the National Assembly or through a referendum.
“It should not be through a white paper where the executive can just pass it and say it has become an administrative law.
“These are issues governing the whole country, the best way to do it is through amendment of the constitution.
“So we have to follow the democratic procedure by going to the National Assembly to amend the constitution.”
However, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, a veteran politician, said the conference was unpopular as the delegates were not representing Nigerians, but “one man”.

Musa said “there must be a truly national conference” in which delegates would be elected by all Nigerians to take decisions on their behalf.