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Tag: Ike Ekweremadu

  • Senate suspends amendment of CCB Act

    Senate suspends amendment of CCB Act

    The Senate after a lengthy closed session emerged to announce the suspension of the investigation of Senator Kabiru Marafa.

    Senator Marafa is being investigated by the Senate Ethics and Privileges Committee for allegedly granting interviews aligning with former President Olusegun Obasanjo that members of the National Assembly are corrupt.

    The upper chamber also asked Senators in court over issues involving the running of the Senate to consider withdrawing such issues.

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who announced resolutions at the closed session also said that they resolved to suspend the consideration of the bill which seeks the amendment of the Code of Conduct Act and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

    Senator Ekweremadu also announced that they resolved to back Senate President, Bukola Saraki in his trial until he is proven guilty.

    He said their support for Saraki is in line with democratic practice all over the world including South Africa, Russia and Brazil.

     

  • EFCC disowns Ekweremadu as anti-corruption ambassador

    EFCC disowns Ekweremadu as anti-corruption ambassador

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has disowned the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, as the anti-corruption ambassador of the agency.

    The EFCC, therefore, urged members of the public to disregard the report stating otherwise.

    The spokesperson for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement that the EFCC National Assembly Liaison Officer, Suleiman Bakari, went beyond his brief by decorating Ekweremadu as such without recourse to the EFCC.

    He said as an anti-corruption agency that could arrest any individual found wanting, the EFCC could never name anyone as its ambassador.

    The statement read in part, “The attention of the EFCC has been drawn to some reports in the print and online media, on April 20, 2016 claiming that the anti-graft agency has decorated the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, as “Anti-Corruption Ambassador”.

    “According to a statement issued to the Press by the Special Adviser to the Deputy Senate President, Uche Anichukwu, the purported decoration, was carried out by the EFCC National Assembly Liaison Officer, Suleiman Bakari who was quoted to have said: ‘On behalf of my acting chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Mustafa Magu and the entire management and staff of the EFCC, decorate you as an Anti-Corruption Ambassador and formally present this frame, as a token of our appreciation to your person and office, and as a symbol of the institutional partnership between the EFCC and the National Assembly’.

    “The EFCC totally dissociates itself from the purported action of Sulaiman Bakari as he acted entirely on his own. He clearly acted outside his brief as a liaison officer as the management of the Commission at no time mandated him to decorate Ekweremadu or any officer of the National Assembly as Anti-Corruption Ambassador.

    “The statutory mandate of the EFCC is the investigation and prosecution of all economic and financial crimes cases, which does not include the decoration of individuals as anti- corruption ambassadors. The Commission is not in the habit of awarding titles to individuals. And those enamoured of titles, knows the quarters to approach for such honours, not the EFCC.

    “Members of the public and stakeholders in the fight against corruption are enjoined to disregard the so-called report.

  • Democracy cannot survive without rule of law – Ekweremadu

    Democracy cannot survive without rule of law – Ekweremadu

    The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has said that no democracy in the world could survive without strict adherence to the rule of law.

    This is contained in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Uche Anichukwu and issued to newsmen on Saturday in Abuja.

    According to the statement, Ekweremadu made the remark at a dinner organised by the International Law Institute (ILI), Washington DC, for its alumni in Nigeria.

    He noted that no country could experience meaningful development without the rule of law.

    He said: “Democracy becomes gravely imperilled if the powers of the judiciary to enforce compliance with the rule of law are subjected to legal, extra-legal, and sociological limitations.

    “Our task as an emerging democracy is to continue to build a society where government agencies as well as individuals and private entities must be subjected to and accountable under the law.

    “We must ensure that the process by which laws are enacted, administered, and enforced is accessible, fair and efficient.

    “We must ensure that justice is delivered according to established laws, timeously, competently, ethically and independently.

    “I hold the opinion and fervently so that the principle of the rule of law is at the heart of the survival of democracy.

    “A democracy without the rule of law is like salt that has lost its saltiness.’’

    The Senator noted that the World Bank had indicated that economic growth, political modernisation, protection of human rights and other worthy objectives, were hinged on the rule of law.

    He expressed concern that developing nations, which were in dire need of development, lacked the rule of law to a large extent.

    He attributed the situation to lack of strong democratic institutions, lack of independence of the judiciary and political instability.

    Ekweremadu assured that the National Assembly would continue to partner ILI to build the capacity of its members and parliamentary staff.

    The statement quoted Kim Phan, the Executive Director of ILI, as expressing happiness with the growth of democracy in Nigeria.

    She also expressed joy with the opportunity the institute had to be part of the country’s success story.

    She said that the institute was committed to the growth of democracy and development of Nigeria.

  • Forgery: Ekweremadu fails in bid to stop judgment

    Forgery: Ekweremadu fails in bid to stop judgment

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has failed in his bid to stop the delivery of judgment by the Federal High Court in a suit seeking to sack the Senate leadership.

    Justice Adeniyi Ademola, had in December 14 last year, reserved judgment after hearing parties in the suit, challenging the process that led to the emergence of Bukola Saraki and Ekweremadu as President and Deputy President of the Senate.

    Plaintiffs in the suit, led by Senator Abu Ibrahim, are of the view that the Senate Standing Orders of 2015 on which Saraki, Ekweremadu and other principal officers of the Senate were elected was a product of forgery.

     

  • Metuh’s continued detention unhealthy for democracy – Ekweremadu

    Metuh’s continued detention unhealthy for democracy – Ekweremadu

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, on Friday branded the continued detention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesman, Chief Olisa Metuh, as unhealthy for the nation’s democracy.

    Ekweremadu, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser (Media), Mr. Uche Anichukwu, decried what he termed the “trampling of the opposition and total disregard for the rule of law in the guise of anti-corruption war.”

    He reaffirmed the Peoples Democratic Party’s support for a genuine anti-graft crusade.

    He, however, deplored a situation where such crusade became a calculated attempt to decimate and silence the opposition, while members of the ruling party with serious corruption allegations went about their businesses.

    The deputy senate president expressed fear that Nigeria was fast descending into “authoritarianism.”

    “The continued detention of the PDP mouthpiece was an attempt to gag the opposition and, therefore, unhealthy for democracy.

    “An anti-graft trap that catches only members of the opposition and those with axe to grind with the government of the day is compromised,” the News of Nigeria quoted the deputy senate president as saying in the statement.

    He called on the citizenry to denounce and resist the prevailing situation where people were held in custody against the directives of the courts and laws of the land.

    Ekweremadu pointed out that there would be no justice without the rule of law.

  • Court reserves judgment in suit seeking Saraki, Ekweremadu’s sack

    Court reserves judgment in suit seeking Saraki, Ekweremadu’s sack

    Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday reserved judgment in a suit filed by five serving Senators, who are seeking to void the election of Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu as Senate President and Deputy Senate President.

    The judge, after listening to lawyers to parties in the case adopt their final written addresses, announced that they would be contacted when the judgment is ready.

    The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/651/2015 has Senators Abu Ibrahim, Kabir Marafa, Ajayi  Boroffice, Olugbenga Ashafa and Suleiman Hunkuyi as plaintiffs, with Saraki, Ekweremadu, the National Assembly, the Clerks of the National Assembly and the Clerk of the Senate as defendants.

    It is the palintiff’s contention that the election of Saraki and Ekweremadu as President and Deputy President was invalid on the ground that the Senate Standing Orders 2015 used for the election was a forged document. 

    The plaintiffs argued that since the Senate Standing Order 2011, which was the valid Senate Rules as at the proclamation of the 8th Senate on June 9, was not known to have been validly altered before the election, the 2015 Rules could not be said to be a legitimate document.

    They stated, in a supporting affidavit,  that the Senate Standing ‎Orders 2015 was “contrived” from the amendment of the 2011 version of the Orders without following its (the 2011 edition’s) relevant provisions and those of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    The plaintiffs argued that the said amendment was in breach of the “prescriptive procedures” stipulated by the extant provisions of section 60 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Rule 110(1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) of the Senate Standing Orders 2011 (as amended).

    They therefore prayed the court for the following reliefs:

    • A declaration that the Senate Standing Order 2011(as amended) is the proper, valid, constitutional and subsisting Rules/Standing Orders of the 8th Senate.
    • A  declaration that the Senate Standing Order 2015(as amended), not being a product of any legitimate amendment pursuant to the extant provisions of Rule 110 of the Senate Standing Orders 2011 (as amended), is invalid, illegal, unconstitutional.
    • A declaration that the election of the 1st and 2nd defendants as the President and Deputy  President of the Senate of the 8th Senate pursuant to the Senate Standing Orders 2015 and contrary to the provisions of Rules 3(3)(e) and (k), Chapter II of the Senate Standing Orders 2011, is illegal and unconstitutional
    • An order setting aside the purported election of the 1st and 2nd defendants as Senate President and Deputy Senate President of the 8th Senate; an order setting aside the Senate Standing Orders 2015 and an order directing the 8th Senate to elect its presiding officers in accordance with the provisions of Section 54 of the Constitution and Rules 3(3)(e) and (k)of the Senate Standing Orders 2011.

    Justice Ademola, on Tuesday took arguments from parties on the substantive suit and defendants’ preliminary objection.

    Plaintiffs’ lawyer, Mamman Osuman (SAN) urged the court to disregard the defendants’ objection and grant his client’s prayers.

    The defendants, represented by Kehinde Eleja (SAN), Ikechukwu Ezechukwu (SAN) and Miss Nancy Odimegwu, faulted the competence of the suit and urged the court to dismiss the suit.

  • Ekweremadu can’t preside over us, APC Senators insist

    Ekweremadu can’t preside over us, APC Senators insist

    All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators Wednesday threatened to stay away from the Senate chamber at any session presided over by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

    Ekweremadu, a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Senator, emerged Deputy Senate President in a Senate Chamber with APC as the majority party.

    The Enugu West Senatorial representative for the first time since his controversial election on June 9th, 2015, presided over Senate session Wednesday due to the absence of the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

    Saraki, it was said, went to the Presidential Villa, Abuja for the inauguration of ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    During the Senate session, some APC Senators led by Senators Ahmed Lawan and George Akume stormed out of the chamber immediately they noticed that Ekweremadu was to preside.

    It was not clear initially why Lawan and Akume walked out of the chamber but a statement by the Secretary of the Senate Unity Forum, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North) threw some light on the development.

    Lawan and Akume are leading members of the Senate Unity Forum, a group that supported Lawan to gun for the Senate Presidency.

    Senator Hunkuyi’s statement is entitled “As Mr. President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurates the new Federal Executive Council of the change agenda, PDP takes over the hallowed chamber of the Senate.”

    It read in part, “We notice with joy the inauguration of the FEC by President, Commander-in-Chief, Muhammadu Buhari of the Federal Executive Council today the 10th of November 2015.

    “Finally, the change agenda has cleared the coast to stand up the integrated development of the APC formed government.

    “In equal stance, we noticed with grave sadness the handover of the hallowed chamber of the Senate today to the opposition party, the PDP, by the Senate President to Ike Ekweremadu as the PDP helmsman to preside over the majority membership of the APC led chamber.

    “It is a very sad development that must be denounced by all well meaning APC members and leaders alike.

    “With this, to show our protest, as APC Senators of the 8th Senate wish to announce that we shall cease to attend any sitting presided over by the PDP in an APC majority chamber of the 8th Senate.”

    Hunkuyi told some reporters after the walk out that he does not recognize Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President.

    He added that he was not prepared to sit in a chamber presided over by Ekweremadu.

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi also APC Senator countered what Hunkuyi said.

    Abdullahi in a statement said that the attention of the Senate had been drawn to a release captioned “The conspiracy against the APC finally consummated.”

    He dismissed that there was any conspiracy of any nature among Senators.

    Abdullahi said that “The consummation of a conspiracy is the figment of the imagination of those behind the news release and should be disregarded by Nigerians.”

    He said, “The Senate wish to reiterate its total commitment to providing robust legislative actions to support the change agenda of Mr. President as he strives to move Nigeria to new height.

    “The bi-partisan stand of the Senate has not and will not be an impediment in any way.

    “The Distinguished Senators are happy with the inauguration of the Federal Executive Council and looks forward to having harmonious, rancor-free but inclusive and participatory relationship that has at its heart the welfare of Nigerians.

    “Finally, as we await the unveiling of the policy directions of Mr. President through the members of his executive, the Senate is indeed poised to work harder and better to support the emergence of a changed Nigeria of our collective dream.”

    Abdullahi said that it became necessary for him to clarify the situation because “the spurious statement by some people has come to our notice.”

    He noted that Senators of APC and PDP were in total agreement that the country has to change.

    Abdullahi said that APC and PDP members including their family members go to the same market and use the same road.

    “We will not allow anything to come between us and the challenges in Nigeria because Nigerians are waiting for us,” he said.

    On the adjournment of the Senate till next Tuesday, he was to honour the dead clerk of the Senate, Mr. Adedotun Durojaiye.

  • 2019: PDP zones presidency to North

    2019: PDP zones presidency to North

    The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has zoned its 2019 presidential ticket to the North. The party, however, did not state which of the three zones in the region will take the ticket.

    The party’s Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, made the disclosure at the party secretariat on Wednesday while receiving the report of the Post-Election Review Committee.

    Secondus said the decision was part of the recommendations of the committee, chaired by the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu.

    He described the report as a turning point in the fortune of the party, saying the PDP is well organised and ready to play the role of vibrant opposition.

    The party chairman said the report of the committee would be presented before other organs of the party for adoption and ratification.

    Ekweremadu had, while presenting the report, stressed the need for the party to strictly adhere to the zoning principle at the local, state and national levels.

    He said, “Since the last president of PDP extraction came from the southern part of Nigeria, it is recommended that PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential election should come from the northern part of the country.

    “This is in accordance with popular views expressed in the submissions to the committee. This will also assuage ill feelings in the north over any perceived breach of the party’s zoning principle.

    The committee also recommended that the title of “party leader” be discarded forthwith at all levels, as it has no basis in the constitution of the PDP, adding that this would go a long way to strengthen the structure of the party at all levels.

    Similarly, the committee also recommended that the party do away with the use of delegates for picking its candidates for elections, saying the process had been grossly compromised and abused.

    Instead, it recommended the adoption of direct primaries as means of electing candidates for elections at all levels. This, according to the report, was a practical way of returning the party to the people.

     

     

  • Saraki’s trial vindictive – Senators

    A group of senators on Tuesday expressed support for the embattled President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, over his ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

    In a statement signed by Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba on behalf of others, the lawmakers said the trial was mischievous, vindictive and politically motivated.

    The statement said, “We also want to state here, on behalf of our colleagues, that the Senate remains solidly behind Senator Saraki and we express our unalloyed support for his leadership.

    “We are happy that he appeared at the tribunal after availing himself of the opportunity to defend his fundamental human rights.

    “We reiterate the fact that he is our choice for the post of Senate President and no politically motivated, mischievous and vindictive trial will change our opinion of him.

    “By his appearance at the tribunal, he has demonstrated his firm belief in the rule of law and his respect for our judicial process. We join Dr. Saraki in affirming our commitment to the rule of law, constitutionalism and democracy.

    “We only hope the other arms of government will ensure that due process and procedures are followed in this trial and on all other issues.

    “It is our belief that at the end of this trial, our democracy, Nigerians and the people will end up as the beneficiaries.”

    The group of senators also restated commitment to the programmes and policies of the Buhari administration.

    Senators that accompanied Saraki to the tribunal included Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; Senators Shaaba Lafiaji; Theodore Orji; Mao Ohuabunwa; Samuel Egwu; Ben Murray-Bruce; Aliyu Wamakko; Gilbert Nnaji; Kabiru Gaya; Tayo Alasoadura; and Samuel Anyanwu.

    Others are – Foster Ogola, Sunny Ogborji, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Isa Hamma Missau, Emmanuel Paulker, Obinna Ogba, Kaura Tijani, Clifford Ordia, Ibrahim Abdullahi, Peter Nwaoboshi, Rose Okoh, Mohammed Ohiare, Gershom Bassey and Olaka Nwogu.

     

     

  • Saraki, Ekweremadu shun hearing of suit seeking their sack

    Saraki, Ekweremadu shun hearing of suit seeking their sack

    …Judge frowns at Senate leaders’ conduct

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki, his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu and three others Monday in Abuja shunned the resumed hearing of a suit seeking their sack.

    Although it was not mandatory for Saraki, Ekweremadu and the other defendants in the suit to attend proceedings in person, they were required be represented by their lawyers.

    Justice Ademola, who was uncomfortable that none of the defendants was represented in court, noted that the choice of Monday as the hearing date was with the consent of lawyers to the parties to the suit.

    The judge, following the decision by plaintiffs’ lawyer, Mamman Osuman (SAN) to withdraw his motion for interlocutory injunction, struck out the motion.

    Justice Ademola agreed with Osuman that the motion, which sought to restrain the Senate leadership from constituting adhoc committees, has been overtaken by events, and that the prayers contained in the motion were similar to those contained in the plaintiffs’ ex-parte application which Justice Kolawole earlier refused to grant.

    The judge, whose time as the vacation judge will end soon, said he will return the case file to the court’s Chief Judge for reassignment at the end of the court’s vacation.

    Other defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/651/2015, are the National Assembly, the Clerks of the National Assembly and the Clerk of the Senate.

    Senators Abu Ibrahim, Kabir Marafa, Ajayi  Boroffice, Olugbenga Ashafa and Suleiman Hunkuyi are the plaintiffs.

    It is their contention that the election of Saraki and Ekweremadu as President and Deputy President was invalid on the ground that the Senate Standing Orders 2015 used for the election was a forged document.

    The plaintiffs argued that since the Senate Standing Order 2011, which was the valid Senate Rules as at the proclamation of the 8th Senate on June 9, was not known to have been validly altered before the election, the 2015 Rules could not be said to be a legitimate document.

    They stated, in a supporting affidavit, that the Senate Standing ‎Orders 2015 was “contrived” from the amendment of the 2011 version of the Orders without following its (the 2011 edition’s) relevant provisions and those of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    The plaintiffs argued that the said amendment was in breach of the “prescriptive procedures” stipulated by the extant provisions of section 60 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Rule 110(1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) of the Senate Standing Orders 2011 (as amended).

    They therefore prayed the court for the following reliefs:

    *A declaration that the Senate Standing Order 2011(as amended) is the proper, valid, constitutional and subsisting Rules/Standing Orders of the 8th Senate.

    *A  declaration that the Senate Standing Order 2015(as amended), not being a product of any legitimate amendment pursuant to the extant provisions of Rule 110 of the Senate Standing Orders 2011 (as amended), is invalid, illegal, unconstitutional.

    *A declaration that the election of the 1st and 2nd defendants as the President and Deputy  President of the Senate of the 8th Senate pursuant to the Senate Standing Orders 2015 and contrary to the provisions of Rules 3(3)(e) and (k), Chapter II of the Senate Standing Orders 2011, is illegal and unconstitutional

    *An order setting aside the purported election of the 1st and 2nd defendants as Senate President and Deputy Senate President of the 8th Senate; an order setting aside the Senate Standing Orders 2015 and an order directing the 8th Senate to elect its presiding officers in accordance with the provisions of Section 54 of the Constitution and Rules 3(3) (e) and (k) of the Senate Standing Orders 2011.