ABUJA, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Some Northern senators loyal to Senate President Bukola Saraki Thursday condemned a news report (not THISDAY) alleging that 22 senators from the North were working against President Muhammadu Buhari.
Briefing the press on the matter Thursday, Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West), who was one of the 22 senators listed in the report, said the attempt to label senators who passed vote of confidence on Saraki as the president’s enemies was wicked, satanic and unacceptable.
According to him, those who sponsored the report were the president’s enemies. Earlier, the Senate had asked its committee on ethics and privileges to commence investigation into the report and report its findings within two weeks. The decision was the fallout of the point of order raised by the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, saying his privilege had been breached by the report.
Ndume, while citing Order 15 of Senate Standing Rules, said it was high time the leadership crisis rocking the Senate was put behind them.
He accused the publisher of the newspaper of being behind the report. This accusation angered Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central), who shouted him down, asking him to state his prayers.
According to Ndume, every senator is qualified to be Senate President but only one person can occupy the office, adding: “I still want to be Senate President. I think everyone of us is qualified to be Senate President. When I contested against my friend, (Ike) Ekweremadu, for Deputy Senate President, l didn’t contest to lose. I contested to win but it is God who gives power.
“Whatever happened on June 9, that favoured Ekweremadu to be Deputy Senate President, God knows. I was the only person in the seventh Senate who collected signatures to impeach Ekweremadu because of certain things that happened.
“The nation is watching us. This drama can’t continue. Only one person can be Senate President or Deputy Senate President. When l became Senate Leader, l said my responsibility has not changed. You can’t be a leader when your leadership can’t be accepted. If 72 senators said they lose confidence in me, l can’t be leader again,” Ndume said.
As Ndume spoke, Tinubu (Lagos Central) intermittently interrupted him, shouting, “What is your prayer?”
The report which Ndume found offensive was titled, “22 APC Northern senators working against Buhari”.
The report claimed that 22 northern senators elected on All Progressives Party (APC) platform had been identified to be “teaming up with the opposition to work against President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling party.”
The report further said “the senators allegedly teamed up with 46 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators in the Red Chamber to pass a confidence vote in the leadership of the Senate under Dr. Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu, a PDP senator”.
The report added: “Thirty-five APC senators were among the 81 who purportedly endorsed the vote of confidence in the principal officers of the Senate.
“The newspaper (name withheld) learnt yesterday that 22 of them are from the North, according to the list attached to the motion moved on the floor of the Senate by Senator Samuel Anyanwu.”
In his ruling, Saraki referred the matter to Senate Committee on Ethics.
Credit: ThisDay
