Accuse northern delegates of trying to sabotage success of confab
• Kutigi says no new constitution
Barely 24 hours after northern delegates to the National Conference alleged that the draft constitution prepared by the leadership of the conference was a hidden agenda to grant President Goodluck Jonathan and governors tenure extension, delegates from the southern part of the country and the Middle-Belt have condemned what they termed plans by section of the country to sabotage the successes they have recorded.
This is coming at a time the Chairman of the conference, Justice Idris Kutigi, had doused tension when he told core northern delegates, who had planned to frustrate yesterday’s proceedings, that there was no new constitution.
Speaking at a press conference, with Chief Olu Falae representing the South-West, General Ike Nwachukwu (retd) representing the South-East, Chief Edwin Clark representing the South-South and Mr. John Dara standing in for the North-Central, delegates from the South and Middle Belt stated that there was no plan for tenure elongation or third term.
They stated that no individual or group inserted anything into the draft document, as alleged by the northern delegates, saying the claim was the work of mischief makers, who were bent on keeping the country hostage.
General Nwachukwu, while addressing the press, 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 had held the country down had finally been resolved.
The regional leaders said they were solidly behind the leadership of the conference, adding that anyone who felt aggrieved should formally write to the conference’s leadership.
Chief Falae said delegates from certain section of the country were angry because the conference had succeeded in reversing the status quo.
With the new marriage between southern leaders and their Middle-Belt counterparts, core northern delegates are now in the minority.
Other prominent southern delegates who attended the press conference and overwhelmingly supported the position of the conference leadership, include Prof. Anya O. Anya, Chief Mike Ozekhome, Chief Charles Edosonwan, among others.
Meanwhile, Justice Kutigi has succeeded in pacifying delegates from the North, who had planned to frustrate  proceedings yesterday over what they saw as a plan to grant Jonathan and governors a third term.
Justice Kutigi, who presided over the brief meeting before delegates adjourned till today, maintained that contrary to claims by core northern delegates over the draft proposal, there was no plan by the leadership of the conference to draft a new constitution for the country.

Confab: Southern, Middle Belt delegates deny 3rd term plot