By Ezrel Tabiowo
Abuja
Supporters of the embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki, yesterday threatened to replicate the occupation of the National Assembly (NASS), as carried out by the anti-Saraki protesters at the frontage of the National Assembly since Tuesday.
The Saraki supporters who almost clashed with the opposing camp at the main entrance of the National Assembly, issued the threat after the police averted a clash between the two groups.
The protesters who were armed with banners and posters with various inscriptions; “Saraki will not resign”, Saraki will remain Senate president”, “Leave Saraki alone”, “APC save our party, save National Assembly”, and “Stop witch-hunting Saraki”, among others, said, they would take their turn at the National Assembly next week, to replicate what the occupy NASS protesters had done within the last four days if nothing was done by both President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) to address what they called injustice meted to the Senate president.
Leader of the group, Barrister Ohazuruike Tochukwu said: “We want to let you know that Nigerians demand execution of campaign promises and not persecution of perceived enemies. We want to let you know that we stand for fairness and justice, autonomy to all arms of government.
“We stand for accountability, and transparency by all public office holders, and that we stand with Saraki and the National Assembly and demand that the executive should desist from impunity that led to the unpopularity of the last government.
“If our demands are not met by next week Wednesday, we shall commence a massive unprecedented move to occupy Aso Rock.”.
Tochukwu, who claimed to have singlehandedly sponsored the protest, asked Saraki to remain in office and that no amount of harassment should intimidate him out office until 2019.
Meanwhile, the Citizens United for Peace and Stability, which had laid ‘siege’ to the federal parliament since Tuesday, had a rough time with security operatives who were mobilised to their stand around 8:00am to chase them away from the National Assembly.
The policemen, led by some unidentified senior police officers, claimed that they acted based on orders from above, a move which the protesters resisted for about one hour, forcing the security operatives to leave them without achieving their aim.
However, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the FCT, Mr. Wilson Inalegwu, arrived the scene about two hours later and pleaded with the protesters on the need to reopen the main gate because the development was causing untold hardship on the people.
Inalegwu noted that it was not only the lawmakers making use of the National Assembly, as business owners and their workers, aides of the legislators, staff members and others who have one business or the other to transact in the sprawling complex were also affected.
He appealed to the protesters to reciprocate the civility of the police and other security operatives towards them since the protest started, especially the support of the Inspector – General of Police, Solomon Arase, by calling off the protest at the National Assembly gate.
But speaking on behalf of their colleagues, two of their coordinators, Messrs Retson Tedheke, politely turned down the CP’s appeal and said the gate would not be opened until the senators come out to address them.
Tedheke said another reason that would make them support the reopening of the gate is if the National Assembly leadership would allow them move in and relocate to the open space directly in front of the White House.
Tedheke also caused a stir when he disclosed that a federal lawmaker(names withheld) who had the contact of one of his members, called to find out if any of the female protesters could be available for him to sleep with overnight.
He said, “This is the type of the situation that we are facing here. How on earth do you want us to abandon this struggle for such a lawmaker? Asking us to allow the reopening of the main gate is like asking us to go back home and we won’t leave till tomorrow (today).”
