…warns of grave danger if Saraki, Ekweremadu
are not left alone to do their jobs.
….says, Buhari becoming a dictato r.
ROTIMI AKINWUMI
ABUJA.
President Muhammadu Buhari has remained in
office in the last one year because the Senate
does not feel like rocking the boat of the
nation’s democracy through commencement
of impeachment proceedings against him.
Rather, the Senate has overlooked his
numerous infractions and moved on, behaving
with maturity in saving the nation’s democracy
from collapsing.
In making the clarifications, the upper
legislative chamber however warned the
executive arm of government not to push the
patience of the legislature to the break limit,
but rather, face all the numerous economic
challenges bedeviling the nation and find
solutions to them.
The Senate also alerted the nation and the
international community to what it considered
as the manifestation of dictatorial tendencies
in the current administration which it noted
will spell doom for the nation’s democracy.
The Senate gave the warning in a statement
issued by its spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi
Abdullahi in reaction to news of the desire of
the executive to prosecute the Senate
President, Bukola Saraki, his Deputy Ike
Ekweremadu and two other national Assembly
bureaucrats for allegedly forging the Senate
rule prior to the inauguration of the parliament
last year.
Aside the Senate President and his Deputy,
the duo of immediate past Clerk to the
National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa
and the Clerk of the Senate, Mr. Ben Efeturi
were invited by the police high authority last
week as part of investigation into the alleged
crime.
However, the Senate in a strong worded
statement issued on Sunday said the ongoing
investigation into the matter is a pure violation
of the power and rights of the legislature and
the erosion of its independence in a
government that works on the hinges of
checks and balances.
According to the Senate, the ongoing
investigation is a disservice to the tenets of
democracy, saying further that “reviewing the
circumstances leading to the filing of these
charges, we are compelled to alert the good
people of Nigeria and the international
community, that our democracy is in danger
and that the attempt by the Executive Arm of
the Federal Government to muzzle the
legislature and criminalise legislative
processes in order to cause leadership change
in the National Assembly is a return to the era
of impunity and lack of respect for due
process which we all fought to abolish”.
To avoid the looming crisis, the Senate “urges
President Muhammadu Buhari to please call
his Attorney General and Minister of Justice,
Mr. Abubakar Malami, to order”.
The upper legislative chamber stated
emphatically that it was aware that the latest
attempt to drag its presiding officers into
another round of court case is an attempt at
forcing a leadership change in the parliament.
The senate however, noted that such plan
would remain a pipe dream.
The parliament insisted that the moves by the
Presidency at ridiculing the leadership of the
Senate is an affront on the integrity of the
Red Chamber that has been playing the
maturity game in the last one year to sustain
the nation’s democracy in view of the
mistakes of the executive which it had
consistently overlooked.
“The Senate of the Federal Republic voted
freely to elect its leadership into office and
continuing attempts to change that leadership
through the wanton abuse of judicial
processes cannot stand in the eyes of the
world.
“It is clear that the Attorney General and party
leaders behind this action either lack the
understanding of the underlining principles of
constitutional democracy, the concept of
Separation of Powers, checks and balances
and parliamentary convention or they just
simply do not care if the present democracy in
the country survives or collapses in their
blinded determination to get Saraki and
Ekweremadu by all means necessary,
including abuse of office and sacking the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.
“The Nigerian people have enough economic
hardship at this time requiring the full
attention and cooperation of the three arms of
government, instead of these attempts to
distract and politicise governance.
“We are in a state of economic emergency
such that what the National Assembly needs
at this time are executive bills and proposals
aimed at resolving the crises of
unemployment, currency depreciation,
inflation, crime and insecurity.
“What the National Assembly needs now are
executive bills to build and strengthen
institutions to earn revenues, fight corruption
and eliminate waste.
“Instead, we are getting hostile actions aimed
at destabilising the National Assembly,
distracting Senators from their oversight
functions and ensuring good and accountable
governance.
“We must make it clear here to the individuals
in the executive arm and party leadership
behind these plots not to mistake the maturity
and hand of co-operation being extended to
the Presidency by the legislature as a sign of
weakness.
“The National Assembly bent backwards to
accommodate various infractions and
inefficiencies in pursuit of inter-arms co-
operation and national interest.
“We did not follow up the various infractions
because we believe there are bigger issues
which the government has to attend to in
order to ensure that every Nigerian has food
on his table and lives comfortably in a secure
environment. We know that the country is
actually in a state of economic emergency and
all hands must be on deck.
“This latest plot is directed at forcing a
change of leadership in the Senate or, in the
extreme case, ground the Red Chamber of the
National Assembly. Or how does one interpret
a move in which the two presiding officers are
being set up to be remanded in Kuje Prison or
incapacitated from sitting at plenary through a
day-to-day trial on a matter that is purely an
internal affair of the Senate.
“This obviously is a dangerous case of
violation of the independence of the
legislature, undue and unnecessary
interference in the internal affairs of the
Senate and blatant abuse of the judicial
process,” the statement said.
The parliament noted that the issues being
raised by the executive had appeared on the
floor of the Senate and it had been trashed
out.
The recent attempt to reopen it, it was said, is
unthinkable, as it has the tendencies to show
that the parliament has lost its independence.
“The matter now being criminalised was
brought to the plenary of the Senate in
session, over a year ago. And because it had
no support, it was overruled and roundly
defeated in chambers.
“To now take a matter that was resolved on
the floor of the Senate to the police and then
make it form the subject of a criminal
prosecution of freely elected legislators beats
all imagination of free thinking men all over
the world.
“The implication is that any matter that fails
on the floor of the National Assembly will now
be taken to the Police, thereby endangering
every Senator and House member.
“This current move clearly runs contrary to the
Doctrine of Separation of Powers and Checks
and Balances which are fundamental to the
successful operation of the Presidential
System of government. It runs counter to the
principle outlined by the Supreme Court in the
Adesanya Vs Senate case where it was held
that nobody should seek to use the courts to
achieve what he or she has failed to push
through on the floor of the National Assembly.
“This present efforts, therefore, is clearly a
coup against the legislature with the ignoble
aim to undermine its independence and
subject the law making institution to the
whims and caprices of the executive. It is a
plan to return Nigeria to the dictatorial era
that we have, as a nation, voted to reject. It is
a dangerous trend with grave implications for
the survival of our democracy and the
integrity of the component institutions.
“This rule of men as against the rule of law is
also the reason why the War Against
Corruption, one of the cardinal objectives of
the present administration, is losing credibility
because people perceive it to be selective
and, in most cases, aimed at settling political
or partisan scores.
“The Rules of the Senate and how the
institution elects its leadership are internal
affairs. The National Assembly bureaucracy
provides the Rules of a new Senate. It has
always been so since 1999. After the
inauguration of the Senate, if Senators have
objections to any part of the Rules, they can
follow the procedure for changing it. Senators
of the Eighth Senate have no control on the
rules applied in the elections of June 9, 2015
because until after their inauguration, they
were only Senators-elect, and therefore mere
bystanders in the affairs of the Senate.
“We therefore urge all Nigerians and the
international community to rise up and
condemn this blatant attempt to subject the
legislature to the control, whims and caprices
of the executive.
“If the legislative branch falls, democracy fails
as there will be no other institution
empowered by the Constitution to check and
balance the enormous powers of the
Executive branch.
“We also call on the judiciary as the last hope
to save our constitutional democracy and
stand up for the rule of law, by doing that
which is right in this case,” the statement
added.

http://independentnig.com/2016/06/19/president-buhari-has-been-committing-impeachable-offences-but-senate/

hmmm that man

as far as am concerned buhari can't do a bleep ... the senate is the govt it self!!

just booking space for 2019

Forgery on the floor of the senate and he said the matter has been settled on the floor of the senate.
Wow!! How amazing our legislators reason. A man commits a crime in his toilet. The question is it right it should be investigated and prosecuted? Are we intruding on his freedom in his house?
Our legislators needs rebirth both morally and spiritually

Damn , i forgot what i wanted to write apart from insult the OP for improper posting , una no dey sabi copy and paste ?

Pls remind d dullard dat dis is not military regime d senate has d powers of check n balance mumu president

DaBullIT:
Damn , i forgot what i wanted to write apart from insult the OP for improper posting , una no dey sabi copy and paste ?

Why will you insult the @OP. can't u read and pass or comment related to his post?
Or are you telling us you are the only one to hit the thread or observed it.....

pharmagba:
Forgery on the floor of the senate and he said the matter has been settled on the floor of the senate.
Wow!! How amazing our legislators reason. A man commits a crime in his toilet. The question is it right it should be investigated and persecuted? Are we intruding on his freedom in his house?
Our legislators needs rebirth both morally and spiritually

Ur last line make sense


The rest are trash
Senate isn't toilet and they are independent
They can choose what they want.

They make and laws guiding their Affairs

Trying to meddle into their Affairs is "tyranny in action c

I dare you to serve bubu impeachment notice .

Out of all, the below is the only basis for this warning;

It runs counter to the principle outlined by the Supreme Court in the Adesanya Vs Senate case where it was held that nobody should seek to use the courts to achieve what he or she has failed to push through on the floor of the National Assembly.

In Fayose's words, 'The people breeding and hailing the lion might end in his belly'

I dare Nigeria senate to impeach President Mohammodu Buhari and see wrath of God and men

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phzhXnJXbnw

It's either you have a very serious issue with comprehension or you are totally unable to read.

There was no forgery anywhere. What the demented power drunks call "forgery" is actually a normal NAS process that has been in place since 1999.

“The Rules of the Senate and how the institution elects its leadership are internal affairs. The National Assembly bureaucracy provides the Rules of a new Senate. It has always been so since 1999... Senators of the Eighth Senate have no control on the rules applied in the elections of June 9, 2015 because until after their inauguration, they were only Senators-elect, and therefore mere bystanders in the affairs of the Senate.


“This current move clearly runs contrary to the Doctrine of Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances which are fundamental to the successful operation of the Presidential System of government. It runs counter to the principle outlined by the Supreme Court in the Adesanya Vs Senate case where it was held that nobody should seek to use the courts to achieve what he or she has failed to push through on the floor of the National Assembly.

The stupid old men gunning to overthrow the current senate leadership are mere psycophants who are desperate to bring nigeria down again to the era of lawlessness and dictatorship.

Unfortunately majority of nigerians are so dumb and annoyingly silly to condemn impunity.

Folks like you even cheer it on.

Gosh.

I certainly no longer blame Nigerians who no longer wish to be identified as Nigetians.

pharmagba:
Forgery on the floor of the senate and he said the matter has been settled on the floor of the senate.
Wow!! How amazing our legislators reason. A man commits a crime in his toilet. The question is it right it should be investigated and persecuted? Are we intruding on his freedom in his house?
Our legislators needs rebirth both morally and spiritually

all this incompetent fools never know their corn....

toothless dog

Bubu is impeachable due to his certificate saga. He shld make his moves with caution. That alone can throw him out.

Buhari can never be impeached. This is Nigeria ethnicity has eaten deep into the fabrics of our national politics. If an impeachment motion is even conceived talkless of been moved against buhari then no northern senator will ever dare to return to the north again.

Crap

paschu:
It's either you have a very serious issue with comprehension or you are totally unable to read.

There was no forgery anywhere. What the demented power drunks call "forgery" is actually a normal NAS process that has been in place since 1999.



The stupid old men gunning to overthrow the current senate leadership are mere psycophants who are desperate to bring nigeria down again to the era of lawlessness and dictatorship.

Unfortunately majority of nigerians are so dumb and annoyingly silly to condemn impunity.

Folks like you even cheer it on.

Gosh.

I certainly no longer blame Nigerians who no longer wish to be identified as Nigetians.

You like to deceive yourself big time. Is it to hide a crime you begin using words like ' national assembly bureaucracy'. What and who constitute this? are they ghosts?
Please reason with your head when you get to the courtroom.

hehehe...let the fight begin

TyrantInAsoRock:

Ur last line make sense


The rest are trash
Senate isn't toilet and they are independent
They can choose what they want.

They make and laws guiding their Affairs

Trying to meddle into their Affairs is "tyranny in action c

Senate is not an independent body. Senate is governed by the Constitution. INEC is independent and is governed by its own Constitution.
By ur assertion, a senator can be against the law and MUST go away with it otherwise, it is meddling with the affairs of the Senate, right?

When Patricia etteh was removed as a speaker, who flinched? Did u remember buhari and the Toronto issue?

My friend, the Bible says even a fool ia thought wise if he shuts his mouth!

this guys have really tolerated enough from this certificateless tyrant called buhari.
impeach him ones & for all lets see tht thing giving him the impetus to be daring u guys.

See who's talking about reasoning.

If you have even an atom of idea what reasoning means you'd bee too ashamed to ask the police or supreme court to change a decision made by the MAJORITY of the senators on INTERNAL matters which are the EXCLUSIVE affairs of the senate.

Even an average 5 year old primary six girl would have been reasonable enough to ask "how come the agrieved senators did not raise the issue at the senate sessions"?

Then she would have been educated to the fact that the poor political jobbers actually did bring the matter up in the senate but the majority of the senators insisted that those miscreants had no point because (as far as the senate is concerend) the process of the election was as normal and perfect as it could get.

- Guess you did not see "1999" in that report?
- Guess you also did not see words like "plot" "remand" and "distract"?

Tommorow you'd also support buhari when he sends the IG to summon the Judge that says that buhari has a case to answer regarding his immaterial certificate.

In your own scheme of reasoning, the Police and the court are now in the position to determine how the apex lawmakers should operate.

SHAME.

And you have the gut to suggest that you are reasonable?

Sorry.

olawalepopoola:
I dare Nigeria senate to impeach President Mohammodu Buhari and see wrath of God and men

You will do nothing my friend. A few riot policemen chased you guys away from Ojota in 2012 and you are here ranting. Buhari is biting more than he can chew and the earlier the senate shakes him a little, the better for our democracy!

SLIDEwaxie:
Senate is not an independent body. Senate is governed by the Constitution. INEC is independent and is governed by its own Constitution.
By ur assertion, a senator can be against the law and MUST go away with it otherwise, it is meddling with the affairs of the Senate, right?

When Patricia etteh was removed as a speaker, who flinched? Did u remember buhari and the Toronto issue?

My friend, the Bible says even a fool ia thought wise if he shuts his mouth!

We are talking about their internal Affairs of the Senate

Shey be Saraki dey on trial?

Their rules their issues