By Bolaji Adebiyi, 05.16.2006

The meeting, which according to THISDAY checks was held at House 7 in the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja, was attended by 14 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and two All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) governors.
Four PDP governors, Orji Kalu of Abia, Joshua Dariye of Plateau, Boni Haruna of Adamawa and Achike Udenwa of Imo, were, however, excluded from the meeting.
The governors who attended yesterday's meeting were: Peter Odili (Rivers); Olusegun Agagu (Ondo); Gbenga Daniel (Ogun); Donald Duke (Cross River); Ibrahim Idris (Kogi) Ahmed Muazu (Bauchi); Ahmed Markafi (Kaduna); Danjuma Goje (Gombe); Jolly Iyame (Taraba); Umar Yar但dua (Katsina) and Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun).
Others were Chief James Ibori (Delta); Chief Lucky Igbinedion (Edo); Obong Victor Attah (Akwa Ibom); Saminu Turaki (Jigawa) and Ali Modu Sherriff (Borno).
Also at the meeting were the PDP Board of Trustees Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih, the National Chairman, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, National Secretary, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, Senate President Ken Nnamani and House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Bello Masari.
Although details of what transpired at the meeting which continued till the early hours of this morning were still sketchy, it was gathered that the two issues discussed were: How far can the third term idea be pushed and if it failed, what would be the way out?
Obasanjo was said to have informed the gathering of how the efforts to amend the constitution to secure a third term in office were being subverted by party men.
The president was also said to have used the session to disabuse the minds of the PDP governors of media reports that he was out to shortchange them even as he sought their support to ensure the passage of the bill.
Much as Obasanjo, however, argued for tenure extension, both Nnamani and Masari were said to have reiterated that there was little they could do to help given the strength of the opposition comprising mostly PDP members and the difficulty in any attempt to bend the rules.
Among those who attended yesterday's meeting was the Kaduna state governor, Makarfi, who has said that the north was still in the quest to ensure that the area produces the next President of the country in 2007.
Makarfi who spoke yesterday when a delegation of the Tiv community resident in Kaduna paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, noted that the recent disagreement between the 19 northern governors should not be construed as a strange occurrence or development.
According to him, "the Northern Governors' Forum remains united over the crucial issue of power shift to the North in 2007. I am confident that the governors will resolve their disagreements and harmonise their views on the various issues that were of common interest to them and their region.
"When members of a group do not agree with the others, it does not mean there is no unity among them. No matter what, issues will bring about different views but still we will arrive at the same thing, and it does not mean that we don't unity of purpose."
Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has warned that attempts to circumvent the law in the on-going constitution amendment process would cause chaos in the country.
CAN President and Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Dr. Peter Akinola, who stated this while receiving, in Abuja, members of 2007 Movement, a forum of anti-third term lawmakers, led by Senator Saidu Dansadau, advised politicians to ensure that the amendment process conformed with the processes laid down in the constitution.
According to him, the act of amending the constitution is within the purview of the lawmakers・responsibilities and urged them to do so responsibly within the dictates of the supreme law of the land.
Akinola expressed concern at the developments on the amendment process, admitting that there had been complaints about unwholesome activities that tend to undermine the integrity of the exercise.
He said: 添ou (lawmakers) feel very strongly that certain things should not be done, we share the same concern with you that whatever we want in this country, we must ensure that we follow due process. Nobody must be seen to be above the law of the land. If you begin to circumvent the law, you are only inviting chaos.・
Assuring the anti-third term lawmakers of the support of Nigerian Christians, Akinola said: 釘y the grace of God, the entire Nigerian Christian community is fully behind you to ensure that you make laws that are transparent, honourable, and that are for the good of the Nigerian people.
He added: 溺ay I also say that the various constituencies that you represent are watching what you do. If you do well, they will return you, if you don稚 do well, they are not likely to return you. And so you owe a duty to your conscience, to your God and to this nation and to your constituencies to make sure that you do what is right, you do what is lawful and you do what is acceptable to the Nigerian people.
鄭nd by the Grace of God, we shall continue to pray for you for wisdom from above for God痴 guidance and for strength and courage so that God who has put you in this position will continue to guide and bless you and enable you to do that which you have been elected to do for our people.・
Commending the lawmakers for sharing their concerns 吐or our country・with him, Akinola assured them that their request for more prayers for this nation will be heard.
The cleric said: 鏑et me begin by assuring you that it is our duty, it is incumbent upon us to pray for our country because we have no other place to call our own except this one. We have no other place to go to預nywhere we go in the world, our home is home. And so it is our responsibility.
展e assure you, therefore, on behalf of all Nigerian Christian people that we shall never fail to pray for the wellbeing and stability and progress of this country.・
Earlier, Dansadau, who led Senators Tokunbo Afikuyomi and Sule Yari Gandi as well as Hon. Farouk Lawan among others, told the Primate that they were against third term for three reasons.
He explained: 展e all saw what happened during the General Ibrahim Babangida time up to June 12. We know what the country went through at that time. And also when Sani Abacha came to lead, we all saw what the country went through. And here we are today. We are going through an almost similar phase.
釘ut before the situation gets out of hand, we as members of the National Assembly have been vested with the responsibility of amending the constitution to save Nigerians by stopping the third term project through constitutional means at the National Assembly level.