The President of the Senate, Bukola
Saraki, on Tuesday sought the
support of his colleagues to stand
with him against “some powerful
individuals” outside the Senate in
order to defend the sanctity and
independence of the legislative
body.
Mr. Saraki, on whom vote of
confidence was passed by 83
Senators at the plenary Tuesday,
also got subtle solidarity from the
speaker of the House of
Representatives, Yakubu Dogara,
who urged the federal government
to ensure that due process was
followed in the trial of the senate
president.
Mr. Saraki, who strongly believed
his trial on a 13-count charge before
the Code of Conduct Tribunal was
politically motivated, said it was
consequent upon his emergence as
the senate president “against the
wishes of some powerful
individuals”.
He reiterated this position in his
welcome address, following the
Senate’s resumption of plenary after
a six-week recess.
“I wish to reiterate my remarks
before the tribunal that I have no
iota of doubt that I am on trial today
because I am the President of the
Nigerian Senate against the wishes
of some powerful individuals outside
this chamber,” Mr. Saraki said.
He continued, “But what is clear to
me also is that the laws of Nigeria
and the rules of the National
Assembly give consideration to the
wishes and desires of those of you
who are here today, members of the
Senate, to elect as you wish, one of
your peers as the President of the
Senate. This, in your wisdom, is
what you have done by electing me
to be first among all of you who are
my equals.
“The laws of Nigeria do not give any
consideration to any other forces
outside the Senate in the election of
its leaders. And to yield the ground
on this note is to be complicit in the
subversion of democracy and
principles of separation of powers
as enshrined in our constitution.
He continued, “But what is clear to
me also is that the laws of Nigeria
and the rules of the National
Assembly give consideration to the
wishes and desires of those of you
who are here today, members of the
Senate, to elect as you wish, one of
your peers as the President of the
Senate. This, in your wisdom, is
what you have done by electing me
to be first among all of you who are
my equals.
“The laws of Nigeria do not give any
consideration to any other forces
outside the Senate in the election of
its leaders. And to yield the ground
on this note is to be complicit in the
subversion of democracy and
principles of separation of powers
as enshrined in our constitution.
“This is why we must once again commend
President Muhammadu Buhari for refusing to
interfere in the National Assembly leadership
even in the face of enormous pressures on him to
do so. He has proved quite concretely that he is
indeed a born-again democrat.”
Emphasizing the need to defend Nigeria’s
democracy and independence of the legislature,
Mr. Saraki expressed his readiness to protect the
tenets of democracy and urged his colleagues to
stand by him.
He said, “As for me, I am prepared to do my duty
in defence of our democracy and in safeguarding
the independence of the National Assembly. My
duty, as I see it, is to do justice and honour to the
memory of those who have paid even higher
prices to give us this democracy and this
constitution. Primarily as a Senator of the
Federal Republic and as Senate President I owe it
to this Senate to stand strong in the face of
relentless persecution.
“I invite all of you to stand with me to defend this
Senate and preserve its sanctity. Ultimately, our
legacies would not be defined by how long we
stay here and in whatever position; but by what
we did with this great opportunity that our people
have given us by the grace of Almighty God.”
Messrs. Saraki abnd Dogara emerged leaders of
the National Assembly against the wishes of their
party, the APC, which supported the duo of
Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila for the
positions of senate president and speaker of the
House of Representatives respectively.
Mr. Dogara later reached a compromise with the
party in respect of the principal positions of the
House of Representatives after a meeting with the
president.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Mr. Saraki made
similar overtures to the presidency in order to
resolve the crisis amicably, but the president
allegedly denied him audience.
Mr. Buhari has not have a private meeting with
Mr. Saraki since the latter’s emergence as
president of the Senate on June 9.
Against the party’s position, which urged the
senate president to fill the principal positions
with its nominees, Mr. Saraki insisted on
reflecting federal character in the distribution of
the principal offices – a move that further made
his relationship with the party frosty.
Mr. Saraki’s loyalists later filled the principal
positions when the senate zoned the positions
and asked the zonal caucuses of the parties to
make nominations.
Dogara’s Tacit Support
In his address today, Mr. Dogara urged the
Federal Government to ensure the pursuit of
“common good” be the focus of Mr. Saraki’s trial.
“[The] barometer of the polity has been on the
rise of late because of certain developments
concerning the arraignment of the President of
the Senate.
“While commending the President of the Senate
for submitting himself to the jurisdiction of the
Code of Conduct Tribunal in the recognition that
no person is above the law, I wish to caution that
there is need for great circumspection in times
such as this in order to maintain proper focus in
pursuit of the common good,” the Speaker said.
He commended his colleagues for “the maturity
of avoiding further escalation [of the crisis]
through media commentaries.”
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