28 APC senators threatens to take legal actions against the emergence of Bukola Saraki as the senate president

Firstclass newsline learnt that members of the Barnabas Gemade -led
Senate Unity Forum have threatened to take a legal action against the
emergence of Bukola Saraki on Tuesday as the President of the Senate.
They told a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday that the election
of Saraki did not follow due constitutional procedure.
They addressed the journalists after walking out of the Senate
chambers when Saraki overruled Gemade and Kabiru Marafa while
questioning the process that produced the new Senate leadership.
Saraki had administered oath of office and allegiance on 28 All
Progressives Congress lawmakers, who were absent at the inauguration
of the Eighth Senate but when plenary commenced, Gemade and Marafa
raised a point of order on the issue.
Gemade, a former Peoples Democratic Party national chairman,
demanded full integration of the SUF members who were absent from the
formal inauguration on Tuesday.
He said, "I will like to appeal to the President of the Senate that
driving for a united Senate, it would be reasonable to accommodate
everyone. But if the desire is not to accommodate all, then you are
heading for a divided Senate.
"That would not be good for your leadership, for the senate as a whole
body, and it will also not be good for the nation. It behoves on you,
Mr. President, that due recognition must be given to all concerned."
Marafa, who raised a point of order protesting the way and manner
Saraki emerged as the Senate president, demanded full investigation.
He said, "The news was that the Senate was inaugurated with 57
senators while 51 senators- elect were absent.
"The news portrayed me and many of my colleagues as irresponsible
members of this hallowed chamber. That we were absent from an event
that was announced and which we were to attend with our spouses and
well wishers, showed us as irresponsible people.
"That caused unwarranted embarrassment to me and other members of
this Senate and our family members. I want to put it on record
that after the swearing in today (Wednesday), I was handed down Senate
standing orders as amended.
"I want to say that as an active member of the former Seventh
Senate, I cannot recall where and when the Senate orders were amended
or tabled for any amendment or corrections. I think it is worthy of
notice that this act was perpetrated and the Senate should call for a
full investigation of what happened and where this document emanated."
After they were overruled, the 28 senators, including the APC choice
candidate for the Senate Presidency, Ahmed Lawan, went to address
journalists. They did not return until the session rose.
Gemade,who spoke for the forum, said that 51 senators were denied the
right to take part in the election of Saraki because they were at the
International Conference Centre in Abuja for a scheduled meeting
with President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said the group had resolved to challenge the " illegality" in
court "since it takes two-third of members to impeach the Senate
President, two third of the members should also, have been in
attendance before he(Saraki) was elected on Tuesday"
The Benue State-born lawmaker, said, "Our right to participate in the
election of the Senate President is a constitutional right which
cannot be taken by any person or group of persons.
"The Clerk of the National Assembly (Salisu Maikasuwa), knowing full
well that the quorum for election of the Senate President was not
met, went ahead to conduct an election that shut the door against
about 51 other senators. This will remain unacceptable until what
would meet democratic parameters is done.
"The insinuations in some quarters that we boycotted the election is
totally unfounded. As loyal party members, we would take all necessary
political and legal means to strengthen our democracy and democratic
process in line with the change that we promised our teeming
supporters during our electioneering."
Gemade insisted that the election of Saraki was null and void because
"a quorum was not formed , which should be two-third of the senators
present."
He said, "53 senators were out and the remaining 56 were not enough to
elect the President of the Senate. That is a clear position that we
take. We are not considering the attendance of that day to connote the
quorum in the Senate because many Senators came there after the event
was done."
Saraki had after his election on Tuesday administered oath of office
and allegiance on 75 senators.
When he was elected, there were 23 APC senators and 34 PDP senators in
attendance. But when the election of his deputy(Ike Ekweremadu, a PDP
lawmaker) was being conducted, the number rose to 75.
But at about 8.30pm on Wednesday, Gemade, Lawan and 26 other
members of the forum gathered at the Senate chamber waiting for Saraki
to formally swear them in as senators.
The senators, after the votes and proceedings of the previous
legislative day were adopted, took turn to take their oaths by reading
it out aloud and appending their signatures.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Like Minds Senators, Dino
Melaye, has clarified that former Senate President, David Mark, was
not sworn in as the Majority Leader of the Senate as reported by the
media.
He said, "It is not possible for a minority senator to be a Majority
Leader. What happened is that out of respect for the former Senate
President, he was sworn in as an individual instead of the groupings
that took place. So, we are using this opportunity to correct the
erroneous impression out there that he was sworn in as the Senate
Leader."
The Kogi State indigene also dispelled reports that 12 APC senators
joined the PDP to elect the new Senate President.
"That is totally baseless and not true. To start with, not all the 49
senators of the PDP were present when the election of the Senate
President took place. This is malicious, capricious and there was no
voting in the case of Senate President," Melaye said.
He described as untrue, reports that 54 senators were present during
the inauguration.
"That is totally baseless and not true. To start with, not all the 49
senators of the PDP were present when the election of the Senate
President took place," the lawmaker added.
Saraki, Dogara risk suspension, expulsion
A source however learnt in Abuja on Wednesday that Saraki and Dogara
risked suspension or outright expulsion for disregarding the APC
directive not to stand for the elections.
An APC leader, who confided in a source, said the party was
considering applying Article 9.1, Sub-Section 2 of its constitution,
against all its members involved in the exercise.
The sub-section deals with the Rules and Obligations of members to the party.
It reads, "(2) Members of the party shall be obliged to affirm the
party's aims and objectives and conduct themselves in a manner that
shall not bring the party to public odium and disrepute.
"Members of the party shall also observe the rules and regulations
embedded in this."
A breach of this sub-section or other provision could lead to
punishments ranging from reprimand, censure, fine, debarment from
holding party office, suspension or expulsion.
The party leader said it would not be out of place for the APC to set
up a disciplinary committee to try Saraki, Dogara and others for their
actions.
He said, "There is no organisation which can survive without
discipline; we cannot tolerate a situation where party members defy
the party without consequences.
"This assault on the party's cohesion has to be met with dire
consequences if not, it will mark the beginning of a revolt whose end
no one can predict.
"What is even more painful about the whole National Assembly thing is
the fact that these individuals went as far as sleeping with the enemy
in their desperation for power. The party must remain supreme. If not,
anarchy will become the norm."
He however said that for now, the APC was not keen on taking the
matter to court.
The party leader added, "If you look at the list of offences
stipulated in our constitution, you will see that anti-party
activities or any conduct likely to embarrass of have adverse effect
on the party or bring the party into hatred, contempt, ridicule or
disrepute; disobedience or negligence in carrying out lawful
directives of the party all constitute a violation and attract
sanctions."
Attempts to reach the party's National Publicity Secretary, Lai
Mohammed, were unsuccessful as calls to his mobile telephone were
neither picked nor returned.
A response to text message sent to him on the subject was still being
awaited as of press time on Wednesday.
APC can't sanction Saraki, Dogara–PDP
Also on Wednesday, the PDP dismissed the threat by the APC to
sanction the new leadership of the National Assembly as empty boast
aimed at covering its naivety, inexperience and unpreparedness for
governance.
It said there was no way the APC could punish the Senate President and
the Speaker for refusing to abide by the directive of the
ruling party not to contest the leadership of the assembly.
The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa
Metuh, admonished the APC to shed its arrogance, eat the humble pie
and get more organised for governance.
The party added that the APC lacked the capacity, capability and means
to sanction duly elected leaders of the National Assembly.
It also said that "the crass inexperience so far displayed by the APC
is a pointer that it is not adequately equipped to handle the affairs
of government at the centre."
The statement read, "Nothing can be more astonishing than the whining
by the APC that the PDP at the last minute expressed its preference
for Saraki and Dogara as Senate President and Speaker of the House of
Representatives respectively after it had earlier stated that it was
not interested in the positions.
"This calls to question the capacity, experience and skills of APC
leaders on political matters and we have no apology whatsoever for
their naivety.
"The APC is merely suffering the consequences of the greed, lust for
power and inordinate ambitions of their leaders. They should note that
Nigerians have since moved ahead with the new leaders in the National
Assembly and stop wasting their energy on propaganda and blackmails to
heat up the polity".
The PDP also condemned Tuesday's alleged attempts to close the
National Assembly and stop lawmakers from carrying out their
constitutional duties, as well as the threats to the newly elected
leaders as "totally against the tenets of democracy, the principles of
separation of powers and independence of the legislature as enshrined
in the constitution."
"Indeed, APC's disdain for democratic norms, the rule of law and the
sanctity of the legislature, coupled with its excessive thirst for
power portends grave threat to our survival as a nation and calls for
serious concern among Nigerians and all lovers of democracy and
freedom world over," the former ruling party stated.
Marafa later explained to one of our correspondents that they left the
plenar to address journalists on "some incorrect information" on why
they were not present at the inauguration of the Eighth Senate.
He said, "I and all the members of the APC were summoned to a meeting
with President Buhari through a well signed and delivered message.
"While I was away, with a lot of other members of the Senate, for
the meeting, the senate went ahead to commence the process of
inauguration thereby infringing on my right and privileges as
enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by
disenfranchising me and my colleagues from participating in the
election of the presiding officers of the Senate.
"The news item that the Senate was inaugurated with 57 senators while
51 senators-elect were absent, portrayed me and many of my colleagues
as some kind of irresponsible members of the hallowed chamber."
Senator Shehu Sani, who is also a member of the group, said his grouse
was that his colleagues who were present during the inauguration,
allowed Ekweremadu to emerge as the deputy Senate president.
He however admitted that the election which produced Saraki as the
President of the Senate was not only constitutional but followed due
process.
I won't quit APC, says Senate President
The Senate President has described rumours that he was planning to
defect to the PDP as "absurd and laughable."
He said in a statement signed by Bankole Omishore of his media office
that the rumour was a "cheap blackmail by political adversaries who
want to call a dog a bad name in order to hang it."
Saraki told those behind the allegation to remember that he
willingly left the PDP even when it (the PDP) was in power.
Firstclassnewsline.net