Saraki not compelled by law to resign – Sagay

Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee (PAC) Against Corruption, Professor Itse Sagay, (SAN), yesterday clarified that by law, Senate President Bukola Saraki is not under obligation to resign from office for defecting from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).
He was however quick to add that on the strength of honour, Saraki should quit office for a fresh occupant, stressing that the legislators would only need twothirds majority of available members to oust the Senate President.
Professor Sagay made the positions known while speaking with journalists on the sidelines of a workshop on the United Kingdom Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO), organized by PACAC, UK National Crime Agency and the Department for International Development (DfID).
The PACAC boss said: “Saraki should relinquish his position as a matter of honour.
He’s not compelled by law to do so. He needs to be removed by twothirds majority.
“He got there because he was in APC even though he got there by subterfuge, which is typical of him.
He got there in a cheeky, fraudulent manner.
“Nevertheless, for him to be removed, they need two-thirds, not of the Senate, but of those present and voting at a meeting.
It doesn’t have to be everybody.
It’s those who happen to be there.
Once they meet the quorum of one-third, and he is there, he can be removed by twothirds of that one-third.” On the recent freezing of Benue state government’s account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the anti-graft crusader, said “it looks extreme.” According to him:“There is nothing EFCC can do to him (Governor Samuel Ortom).
they can’t arrest him.
They can investigate him, put down the records of what they found, and wait for his tenure to end.
Right now, nobody can touch him.
“As for freezing Benue state’s account, I can’t support it.
I don’t know why, but government has to function.
I don’t want people to suffer because there are no funds for basic government functions.
“I don’t know if EFCC really did that; we have to be careful because it looks extreme to me.” Speaking on the alleged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate forgery involving the Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, the law expert believed that it was not sufficient a ground to sack her from office.
Sagay said: “I don’t know why the government has not reacted.
But, let me tell you my reaction. This woman is a brilliant and extremely valuable member of this government.
“A lot of the good things happening now-the welfare that Nigerians are enjoying and are going to enjoy, because it takes time, and the way our economy is booming, how we got out of recession – are due to her expertise, her commitment, her sacrifice.
“There is nothing in this world that will make me remove such a woman from the government.
The PDP can weep from now until there is no tear in their body; she is going to be there.
We cannot afford to lose that woman,” He said.