Going by his active and visible membership of the Senator Abdullahi Adamu’s group opposed to the new sequence of elections included in the 2010 Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2018 by both chambers of the National Assembly, Senator Ali Wakili’s death is no doubt, a big loss to the group and by extension, pro-Buhari senators TAIYE ODEWALE reports.
Wakili among the 10
Being among the 10 senators led by Senator Abdullahi Adamu (APC Nasarawa West) that stormed out of the Senate’s chamber on Wednesday, February 14th 2018 in protest against inclusion of section 25(1) in the 2010 Electoral Act (Amendment ) Bill and vowed that the bill would not see the light of the day by way of veto, by President Muhammadu Buhari which eventually came to pass penultimate week, the late Senator Ali Wakili (APC Bauchi South), was no doubt a strong member of the pro Buhari senators in the Senate.
Though the group after the February 14 protest and press briefing against the section which gives legal teeth to reordering of the 2019 general elections in the order of National Assembly elections first, followed by Governorship / State Houses of Assembly elections and Presidential last as against earlier arrangement made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) got depleted with the u- turn made by Senator Ovie Omo- Agege ( APC Delta Centra ) from their stance on the 21th of February, 2018 through apology he tendered on earlier remarks made that the election sequence was targeted at President Buhari, Senators like the late Wakili still stood their ground against the new sequence of election.
Wakili opposed Adamu’s removal
His staunchness along this line was even more demonstrated when he kicked against the controversial removal of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as Chairman, Northern Senators’ Forum by the pro reordered sequence of elections as a way of spitting him for leading the group of Senators against them.
Adamu’s removal as chairman of Northern Senators’ caucus was announced by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu via a letter written to that effect by some northern senators on alleged financial mismanagement. The letter read in part, “This is to inform the Senate that the majority signatories of this letter are members of the Northern Senators Forum.
“We have removed Sen. Abdullahi Adamu as Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum for financial mismanagement and misadministration. We announce his immediate replacement with Sen. Aliyu Wamakko.”
It would be recalled that some of the senators at a press briefing later on the day , specifically mentioned that the financial mismanagement has to do with N70million balance in the account of the forum at the end of the 7th Senate given to Adamu on his emergence as Chairman in the 8th Senate.
Specifically, Senator Shehu Sani (APC Kaduna Central) submitted at the briefing that under Adamu’s leadership, the forum could not account for part of the money inherited from the 7th assembly
According to him, it was alleged that the former Chairman of the Forum handed over N70 million to Adamu at the inception of the 8thassembly but part of the money cannot be accounted for.
He said: “There are some things that some of my colleagues cannot say but I’m not used to holding back what is the truth. When we resumed as senators, Sen. Ahmed Lawan tendered the sum of N70 million to the 8th Senate.
“That N70 million was monies gathered by northern senators from the 7th senate. So it was handed over to the 8th senators from northern Nigeria under the 8th Senate. The rumours going round whether it is true, but I believe most of the senators know is the fact there were allegations that some monkeys raided the farm house of some of the executives in northern senators forum and carted away some of these monies.
“I think this country is becoming a huge joke, first of all it was the rodent that drove away the President and we now have snakes consuming about N36 million, and you now you have monkeys”
Other northern senators like Dino Melaye, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi and Hamman Isah Missau , also hinged the removal of Senator Adamu as chairman of the Senate’s Northern caucus to alleged mismanagement of the N70million .
But the following day precisely on Thursday, 21st February, 2018, on the floor the Senate, the late Senator Wakili rose through a point of order to kick against the removal of Senator Adamu, “saying the decision was not taken or arrived at, by Northern Senators at any meeting”.
He stated that, following the fact that he had no prior knowledge of the matter and the fact that the Northern Senators Forum held no meeting where such action was taken, his privilege had been breached.
The now late Senator pointed out that neither the Secretary to the Forum, Senator Jibrin Barau nor the Forum’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Senator Dino Melaye, called for a meeting to talk about the issue of financial mismanagement by Adamu not to talk of his removal.
He refused to be cowed
He said, “I come from the North and I am active member of the Northern Senators Forum. At no time have we met and put to question any of the leaders of the Northern Senators Forum.
“It was brought to this place and it was announced and some of our colleagues went to the press centre and made statements that referred to some of us as monkeys. We are taking this political brinkmanship beyond the level we are supposed to take it. We are supposed to be wise men.
“This is because nobody called me for a meeting. Senator Jibrin Barau, the Secretary of the Forum had never called a meeting. Sen. Dino Melaye, the Public Relations Officer had never called for a meeting”.
Although his point of order was just noted by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the session, but his submission that day , created the needed crack among the Northern Senators on the purported removal of Abdullahi Adamu .
Buhari’s loyalist to the core
Aside the issue of sequence of elections, the late Senator Wakili was never known to be among some of the APC senators who take delight in criticising President Buhari-led federal government on the floor of the Senate like Dino Melaye ( APC Kogi West), Hamman Isah Misau ( APC Bauchi Central), Shehu Sani ( APC Kaduna Central) etc .
A party loyalty – driven disposition which made keen observers of events in the Senate , to see the late Wakili as indeed , one of the pro Buhari Senators in the Senate.
Though there are many other senators in the senate who are also known to be pro Buhari with the required loyalty to frustrate any move by the senate to override the President on the Electoral Act amendment bill but with the demise of Senator Wakili , would they get the required 37 votes to do so?
