492 Delegates For National Conference

The Federal Government on Thursday released modalities for the conduct of the National Conference tentatively fixed to last for three months.

Releasing the modalities in Abuja, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, said that 492 delegates are expected to be nominated from January 30 to February 20.

Those entitled to nominate the 492 delegates, according to him, include the President, states and local governments, traditional rulers, political parties, retired civil servants, organized private sector, selected associations and professional bodies, civil society organizations and other stakeholders in the relevant field.

He said the national confab is entitled to discuss all subject matter except divisibility and dissolubility of Nigeria as a nation.

Decisions at the National Conference, he said, shall be by consensus and where not achievable; it shall be by 75 per cent majority.

The confab at the end of the three months, he said, would decide whether there would be referendum or not.

To conclude everything that has to do with the National Conference before the 2015 election season sets in, he said the President will nominate delegates for any state that fails to nominate delegates before the time specified.

He said: “I am pleased to inform you that government gave the most expeditious consideration to the report of the advisory committee. In doing so, we sought explanations and guidance from the members of the committee as at when necessary.”

“We were also deeply encouraged by the calls by Nigerians from all works of life for us to proceed with the report of the committee with uttermost urgency, so that the nation can be through with the dialogue well ahead of the approaching political season.”