-NASS invasion Saraki’s plan – APC
-It’s act of cowardice – Senate President
Reminiscing on the siege laid to the National Assembly on Tuesday, Senate President Bukola Saraki has described the act as cowardly, but lauded Acting President Yemi Osinabajo’s handling of the situation, saying “the path of leadership is not by party.” He also challenged his colleaguelawmakers on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to halt their alleged plot for leadership change in the Senate through illegal session.
Following the invasion of the National Assembly, Acting President Osinbajo, not only condemned the act as an illegality, but fired the Director General, State Security Service, Lawal Daura.
Addressing a world press conference at the National Assembly yesterday in Abuja, Saraki tasked those allegedly scheming to unseat his leadership, to labour very hard in getting the required 2/3 majority members of the Senate for that purpose.
Saraki reiterated that neither himself, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu nor Speaker Yakubu Dogara belongs to the class of politicians desperate to stay in power at all costs.
“I repeat again and again, this is not about us, but about respecting the constitution and the rule of law,” he said amidst a crowd of print and electronic journalists.
On whether he was ready to throw in the towel having defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, he said his choice was not predicated on APC membership.
Saraki said he “was not given the seat of the Senate President.
I was elected by members.
Secondly, according our Constitution, it says members of the National Assembly who are elected can elect their leaders.
It does not say you have to come from a political party.” “The very day 2/3 majority of senators withdraw their confidence in me or support for me, I will quit as Senate President , the same path, I believe , my Deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and Speaker of the House of Representatives , Hon Yakubu Dogara will toe if such scenarios play out,” he said.
On the SSS siege laid to the National Assembly, he said, “the ensuing standoff was a show of shame that played itself out over several hours in full view of the country.
In no circumstances should this have happened.
And we, as a nation, reaped the bitter fruits instantaneously, as evident in media images relayed around the world, images that shamed us as a democratic nation.
“The siege was also an act of cowardice by those seeking to carry out an illegal impeachment of the leadership of the Senate in flagrant disregard of the law.
People who seek control at all costs, by whatever means, never minding the injury to democratic norms.
“I have to say that this is not about me-Abubakar Bukola Saraki as an individual.
It is not about Ike Ekweremadu, nor is it about Yakubu Dogara.
I am speaking for my colleagues when I say that this is about the soul of Nigeria, what we represent as a country, and our standing in the comity of nations.
“This is a country where so much is expected of us, so many rungs of the ladder that we are supposed to have ascended as a nation.
Instead, we are wallowing in impunity and illegal show of force, all of which retard our progress.” “This is most disheartening.
I don’t get any joy in saying I said so.
I don’t.
However, some of you may recall that about two years ago, I stated that there was a government within this government, to a purpose that was not in the interest of what the people voted for.
I said it then, and now we are beginning to see the manifestations of that government within a government.
“It beats one’s imagination how the head of an agency could have authorised the brazen assault on the legislature that we saw yesterday (Tuesday).
Despite the threat to our lives, we shall continue to fight impunity and injustice in this country,” Saraki added.
He commended the PDP federal lawmakers for squaring it up with the security agencies during the siege, the civil society organisations, the media, concerned Nigerians and the international community for rising up in defence of democracy, vowing that no amount of intimidation will make him and his colleagues surrender for impunity, recklessness and lawlessness.
“By this, we have shown that Nigerians can resist government within government in whatever guise, and this is humbling for me.
Those who sought to attack the National Assembly under my leadership for their selfish ends have only affirmed my belief in this country.
“They attempted to execute an illegal impeachment of the leadership of the Senate without the backing of the law, but they faltered.
I am confident that, together, we shall always defeat acts of unconstitutionality.
The rule of law shall always prevail”, he stressed.
He also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the 2018 Electoral Bill into law, just as he assured Nigerians that the National Assembly under his leadership is studying the situation as regards urgent funds for INEC.
His words: “I want to reassure Nigerians that, on our part, we remain committed to working for a country governed by the rule of law.
Our desire is to have a society where there will be equity and justice, not oppression.
“We stand committed to doing our utmost as lawmakers to ensure that the responsibility and functionality of governance are met.
Although we are on annual break, we are daily reviewing the situation and are alive to the responsibility to take action as necessary.
“Unfortunately, Tuesday’s shutdown prevented us from meeting with INEC, as scheduled, to address funding concerns.
We will continue to look into the matter.
In the spirit of that, we also appeal to Mr.
President to sign the 2018 Electoral Act Amendment Bill which has been sent for his assent.” …Thumps up female lawmaker Singling out a member of the House of Representatives, Hon.
Boma Goodhead, for daring the gun-wielding operatives, the Senate President said, “she looked a masked security operative in the eye and dared him to shoot.
She let it be known that Nigerians would not stand for the barricade at the National Assembly, that we would not be cowed.
“It was another pointer to what is possible in this country when women take their place in leadership.
“This is what we have been saying about the power of the people.
The role of the people in defending democracy is paramount,” he added.
Lauds Osinbajo Giving kudos to Osinbajo for the handing of the situation, Saraki said, “I thank the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, for his handling of the situation we were all confronted with yesterday.
His decisive action went a long way towards restoring confidence.
It sent a powerful message – that the DSS cannot be recklessly deployed against institutions of our democracy.
” The path of leadership is not by party, and we must commend it wherever it is found.
Mr. Acting President did the right thing.
However, the damage control so far does not address the question of how this atrocity happened in the first place.” ‘It’s Saraki’s sinister plan’ However, in what looks like a detour from its earlier position, the APC is claiming that Saraki was behind the invasion.
Earlier on Tuesday after the drama had gone viral on the social media and attracted opprobrium from Nigerians and beyond, condemned the act, just as it exonerated itself.
But changing its position in a statement yesterday, the party defended the actions of the SSS operatives, saying their timely intervention forestalled planned violence.
“Following Tuesday’s incident at the National Assembly, our investigations have now uncovered the sinister plot hatched by the Senate President, Dr.
Bukola Saraki to foment violence in the legislative chamber all in a bid to stop his impeachment.
“Our investigations uncovered and noted the following: We are now aware that the timely intervention of the security operatives forestalled the planned violence which could have led to possible deaths, injuries and destruction of property in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
“Why did the Senate President mobilise thugs to the National Assembly who almost lynched Hon.
E.J. Agbonayinma, the only APC federal lawmaker present, but for the timely intervention of security operatives.
“Why did the Senate President reconvene the National Assembly? Ostensibly as a pre-emptive move to frustrate federal lawmakers’ move to impeach him.
“Is it not curious that only Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) federal lawmakers were present in their numbers-some as early as 7am, while the majority APC federal lawmakers were elsewhere holding a caucus meeting on the state of the nation.” The party, however, called on security agencies and relevant bodies, to, as a matter of urgency, probe the findings and take all necessary and legitimate actions to stop what it described as “illegalities which pose a direct and ominous threat to our democracy.” “As espoused in our earlier statement, whilst our contention with the leadership of the National Assembly as currently constituted is a matter of public record, we still believe that the legislature as an independent arm of government must be allowed free reign for vibrant contestation of ideas and values amongst its members within the context of their constitutional mandate and for the benefit of the Nigerian people.
“Finally, we reiterate our call for the Senate President to resign from the position immediately as he no longer has the moral and legitimate ground to occupy that position as a member of the minority PDP.
Going by the popular axiom, ‘the majority will have their way, but the minority will have their say,” it added.
