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Tag: Senate president

  • NASS working to pass bills in nation’s interest, Says Senate Leader

    The Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, on Friday gave indication that peace has returned to the National Assembly.

    According to him, lawmakers are more interested in working for the national interest by passing the relevant bills that would move the nation forward.

    Prior to the reconvening of the National Assembly on Tuesday, Lawan had declared at the All Progressives Congress (APC) Convention at the Eagle Square on Saturday night that APC will not allow leadership of the National Assembly run away with its mandate.

    While the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has been of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the Senate President, Bukola Saraki had recently defected from the APC to the PDP.

    But speaking on the crisis with State House correspondents on Friday at the Presidential Villa, Lawan said “I don’t know what informed your view to anticipate crisis but let me tell you that NASS will continue to remain focus on national issues, we must be patriotic, nationalistic, we must put national interest above individual, parochial or partisan interest.

    “We definitely have to bury our hatchets for us to work for Nigeria and Nigerians perhaps that might have informed the disappointment of many people that there will be crisis in the National Assembly.

    “Let me also say that disagreements are usual, in fact they are very practical components of any parliament, when you have 2 to 3 parties or even within parties you will have views that may differ.

    “It is traditional, it is usual for us to disagree maybe this disagreements may crop up and some other issues but for now our focus is on national interest.” he said

    Asked if the idea of impeachment has been dropped, he said “The National Assembly is a Nigerian parliament and therefore the best thing to do is to ensure that Nigerians gets a good deal and for now the good deal is for Nigeria to have all those pending request of Mr President approved by the National Assembly.

    “I think the national interest for now override any other interest.” he said.

    Read Also: Why Atiku picked Peter Obi as running mate – Daniel

    Speaking further on the resumption day, he said “Well you could see from day one, day one Tuesday was not an eventful day because the National Assembly lost a member, a member from Kwara. So traditionally, we normally don’t work on such a day when the death will be officially announced.

    “But Wednesday and Thursday witnessed the focus and concentration of members of the National Assembly on the request of Mr President for the funding of INEC for elections to be conducted in 2019 and we passed in the Senate and the House did also.

    “We passed the request of Mr President for N189 billion for INEC activities for 2019.On Thursday the committee on appropriation invited the head of the security agencies to come and defend the request that Mr President made on their behalf for funding of their supervisory and oversight roles during the elections in 2019.

    “We also had the referral of the request of Mr President approval for foreign loan component of the 2018 appropriation and that is about 2.78 billion dollars eurobond. We have gone full blast consciously, purposely to ensure that Mr President gets what’s he request, we lost time because some of the issues were requested for before we went on our recess.

    “But we have also in the Senate passed confirmations of the CBN deputy governor, ICPC governing body and we are determined to continue to do this throughout this period.

    “Our intention is to ensure that Mr President doesn’t lack from inactivity of the NASS that whatever he requests, the fundamentals aspects especially will be attended to, this is our determination both as APC senators infact as senate and National Assembly.” he added

  • Oshiomhole has ignited civil war in APC, says Saraki

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Tuesday said that the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Spokesperson of the party, Yekinni Nabena, has ignited civil war in the APC through their actions and inactions.

    Saraki also said that Oshiomhole and Nabena have dragged the APC a very low level that the ruling party was allegedly wallowing in confusion and disorganization.

    This is contained in a statement by the Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to Senate President; Yusuph Olaniyonu entitled “Response to APC Diatribe”

    It said, “We have noted the irresponsible statement issued by the APC spokesman, Yekinni Nabena. We know that he and the leadership of the APC are always incensed and disturbed at the mere hearing of the name, Saraki. It is also notable that Nabena and the APC are always concerned about the developments in the opposition party, the PDP.

    “However, we believe that with the ‘civil war’ that Adams Oshiomhole and Yekinni Nabena have ignited in the APC and the very low level that they have dragged the party, in such manner that the ruling party is wallowing in confusion and disorganization, they have too much to pre-occupy them than to be poking their noses in what happens to Saraki or the PDP.”

  • Omo-Agege says Saraki must quit Senate Presidency

    As the National Assembly prepare to resume plenary session tomorrow, Tuesday, Sen Ovie Omo-Agege (APC), has said that Dr Bukola Saraki should be ready to vacate the seat as Nigeria’s Senate President.

    Omo-Agege, who is representing Delta State Central Senatorial District, spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

    Saraki had, on July 31, defected from the All Progressive Congress (APC) to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), hinging his defection on unsuccessful efforts to ensure a harmonious existence in the APC.

    Read Also:PDP govs split over support for Tambuwal, Atiku, Saraki

    The APC National Working Committee (NWC) had queried Saraki, asking him to respond within 48 hours why disciplinary action should not to be taken against him for breaching Article 21 of the party’s convention.

    The allegations raised against him by the party included that ‘’you encouraged and facilitated by providing an enabling environment for the defection of some senators who are members of the APC to the other opposition parties”.

    The party called on Saraki to resign his position as the Senate President, insisting that he lacked the moral ground to retain the position after defecting to the PDP.

    However, the Senate president had stood his ground even as the National Assembly declared its annual recess which began July 24.

    Although the federal lawmakers were initially expected to resume Sept. 25, the resumption was postponed to Oct. 9.

    Mohammed Sani-Omolori, the Clerk of the Assembly, who announced the postponement in a statement on Sunday, Sept. 23, attributed the development to the primary elections of political parties.

    Sani-Omolori said members of the National Assembly were expected to resume by 10am on the new date.

    Meanwhile, Omo-Agege told NAN that the demand of the APC’s senators for Saraki’s removal was still standing.

    ‘’Our demand has not changed, in fact, that demand has been accentuated by the directive of the APC national leadership.

    ‘’We have all been enjoined as APC senators at a slightest opportunity to remove Saraki and once we are provided with that slightest opportunity, we will remove him and he knows that,” he said.

    According to him, the moment Saraki left the party, APC, to join the minority PDP, he lost the right, legal and moral, to occupy the office of the Senate President.

    ‘’Absolutely, he knows he cannot be; we are not shying away from that. Our position has always been consistent.

    ‘’This is not new neither is it news. We have made that clear, very clearly in the past.

    “Therefore, the position of Ovie Omo-Agege has the position of APC as a party,” he remarked.

    On whether the members, who were aggrieved by the outcome of the primaries at various states might affect their plan, the senator said: ‘’Well, that is something that we will need to address when we return on Tuesday.

    ‘’We will take an audit of where we are in terms of the numbers, in terms of those who are happy and those who are not happy.

    ‘’But you should understand one thing, just as you have people who are disgruntled in APC, you also have others who are disgruntled in PDP.”

    When asked if the aggrieved group had the number to remove Saraki, Omo-Agege said: ‘’of course, we have always had the number. We have the number.”

    On whether defection of members could affect their plan, he responded thus: ‘’Like I am telling you, as people are leaving APC to PDP, people are leaving PDP to APC.’’

    He said as soon as the APC lawmakers in the red chamber have the number, the deed would be done.

    ‘’I mean once the environment is conducive; that is, once we have the number, we take him out, as simple as that,” he said.

  • Osun 2018: Saraki, Fayose accuse INEC, police of compromise 

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, have accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigerian police of colluding with the Federal Government to rig elections in states.

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains made the accusation while addressing reporters in Ede, Osun State after the party’s mega rally for its governorship candidate, Sen. Ademola Adeleke.

    Read Also:Oyetola: why Osun deserves govt of continuity

    Saraki said he has observed a trend in recent elections where results declared by INEC shows a huge invalidated number of votes with a narrow margin with which candidates win.

    He said the trend showed in the Bauchi National Assembly bye-election and Ekiti State governorship election.

    Saraki warned INEC and the Federal Government to desist from the trend, saying it is the latest style of rigging the elections in favour of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates.

    He said the trend must not repeat itself in tomorrow’s governorship election in Osun State.

    He faulted the declaration of Sen. Adeleke wanted by the police two days before the election.

    His words: “There is a pattern that we have seen and we hope that in this election of Osun we will not see that. When you look at the margin of victory between the party that wins and that party that loses, and you look at the amount of cancellation, you tend to see that the difference is almost the same. We are seeing that trend here, we saw it in Bauchi bye- election and to me, there’s something fishy going on.

    “And so it’s important in a credible election, there should not be that amount of cancellation. And I think INEC needs to step up. In the 2015 election, we never saw this level of cancellation. This is a new trend that is very disturbing and I hope that in this election INEC will show how credible it is and ensure invalid votes should not be like that. When cancellation is more than the margin of victory, then that election carries a big question mark.

    When asked about the level of confidence with which PDP was going into the Osun election, Fayose said the process was already compromised.

    He said: “It is not about level of confidence. We are talking about the process, the process leading to an election. INEC has been compromised, police have been compromised. When they want to arrest they will arrest PDP. When they are doing vote buying it is PDP that will be arrested, not APC. It is whoever police call a criminal that is a criminal. When already police are taking sides, what do we say to that? When you are telling us what level of confidence?  It is about the system, the process. If I come here and arrest you with gun what will you do? If they have the effrontery to say they are declaring the candidate of PDP in an election that is 48 hours away as the criminal to create a perception, you can imagine.”

    He added: “They are taking this state one after the other and they forget that nothing will last forever. We must all condemn this unnecessary, unwarranted assault on democracy…

    “For APC to come here and start talking about corruption, we have had enough of that. I wrote to EFCC that I will be coming on the 16th. I am still a sitting governor, you are declaring me wanted. You said they should be looking for me. I am here today. When I was passing the airport I had to look for Customs officers to tell them ‘I am here if you need someone to arrest.’

    “This is not the country of our dream; this is not the democracy of our dream. For anybody to say PDP wants to rig this election it’s exactly what they want to do that they are now laying on others. You saw what happened in Ekiti. Have you ever seen a governorship election won by under 20,000 votes? They won with 19,000 votes and voided votes were 18,000. The one the Senate President was talking about, their strategy is to invalidate most of the votes when they know that it is not adding up for them. This is not the spirit at all.

    “And I want to say to them if they like they should set Nigeria ablaze. They must remember the children yet unborn. Those who are benefiting from this wickedness should remember that if the last administration were to be like this they would never have got there.”

  • Saraki laments Nigeria’s precarious situation

    …says it’s at crossroads

     

    Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Monday lamented the precarious situation of Nigerians, saying they are not only at “crossroads,” but also “divided.”

    Saraki declared the situation is not unexpected, since the nation lacks visionary, youthful, dynamic and more importantly, energetic leader with digital knowledge unlike what obtains in America, Europe and Asia.

    Read Also:Most Kwara politicians are transit, says Saraki

    The Senate President, who made this known in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, when he visited the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) delegates in the state ahead of the party’s primary for the selection of Presidential candidate, submitted that Nigerians are suffering and not smiling because as a country, “we can’t give what we don’t have.”

    Saraki was accompanied by a Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, immediate past governor, Kogi State, Captain Idris Wada (retd), Alhaji Kawu Baraje, Chief Doyin Okupe, among others.

    He said Nigeria needs a leader who can unite the country, carry everyone along, stir the country to growth and development as well as provides security to the citizens.

    The PDP Presidential aspirant said given his track records, he represents the right leadership for this country and urged Nigerians to set sentiments aside and vote for someone that is capable of delivering quality governance to the people.

    “Today in Nigeria, we are at crossroads. The country is very divided.  We must unite the country and if we must unite the country, we need a President who everybody will feel a sense of belonging.

    “Today there is no sense of belonging for some parts of the country. We want a President that knows and represents Nigeria.

    “We want a President that every part of the world know, yes because without unity there can never be progress after we unite, then we move to progress and development.

    “Today, it is a new order all over the world in Asia, America and Europe. What are we seeing?  We are seeing people bringing in youthful, dynamic, energetic President and more importantly, digital President.

    “A lot of our people are suffering; we can give what we don’t have?  We need a visionary leader.  We all talk about the Asian Tigers but they did not become Asian Tiger by luck or by chance.

    “They became Asian Tigers because they had visionary leaders. It is time for us in Nigeria, not to vote with sentiments, but to vote for a man that is capable, that has the ability and that can perform.

    “My dear delegates, today, out of the aspirants that have come out, I believe that my track records have shown that I have the capacity, ability and can stand for the right thing.

    “When we talk about insecurity, sometimes it’s because there is no courageous leader to say this is right or this is wrong, this is unfair or that is fair.

    “It is time for us to have a leader that will stand for justice and make sure that everything is done the way it should be done. And today I believe that I represent the right leadership for this country.

    “They use to say only President can come from one part of the country. It is time for us (look for) who is the most capable, who has the ability, who has shown that everywhere he’s going, he is able to carry people along.  This is the time,” Saraki said.

  • Omo-Agege accuses Saraki of withholding his entitlements

    …Initiate contempt proceedings against Saraki, Senate

     

    Senator Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta Central) has accused the Senate President, Bukola Saraki of withholding his entitlements and thereby disobeying the judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja, which voided his suspension earlier this year.

    Omo-Agege, in a form 49 (contempt of court charge) he filed before the court, alleged that Saraki had since refused to comply with the judgment that nullified his suspension from the Senate.

    Read Also:Saraki, others, never supported Buhari in Senate, says Omo-Agege

    His lawyer, Alex Iziyon (SAN) told the court that after the court’s May 10 judgment, his client was allowed entry into the Senate chambers, but that Saraki has refused to approve the payment of his entitlements.

    “My client has since resumed, but he has not been paid his entitlements. That is why we want this court to summon the Respondents to show cause why they should not be committed to prison for refusing to comply with judgment of this court”, Iziyon, SAN, submitted.

    He also sought the court’s leave to serve a copy of the contempt charge on both the Senate and Saraki, through substituted means, because it has been very difficult to serve the respondents.

    Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, who is the court’s a vacation judge, said the court would communicate a hearing date to Omo-Agege.

    The court on May 16 refused a joint application that Senate and Saraki, who were sued as 1st and 2nd Defendants, for a stay of execution of the May 10judgment, with which the court voided Omo-Agege’s suspension from attending plenary for 90 legislative days.

    The Senate and Saraki had, through their lawyer, Mahmud Magaji (SAN), prayed the court to suspend Omo-Agege’s resumption, pending hearing and determination of the appeal against his recall.

    The court had, in the judgment, held that the reason the Senate gave for suspending Omo-Agege from plenary, was unconstitutional.

    It noted that the Ethics and Privileges Committee of the Senate recommended that Omo-Agege should be suspended to punish him for instituting legal action against the legislative house.

    The court further held that while the Senate has the powers to sanction its erring members to protect its integrity, he said no institution or authority has the powers to deny any citizen his right of access to the court.

  • Saraki appoints Okupe chair of campaign media team

    Senate President and presidential aspirant on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Tuesday announced the appointment Dr. Doyin Okupe as chairman of the Media Council for his campaign Organisation.

    Okupe, a medical doctor and politician, had served as the National Publicity Secretary of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) in the aborted Third Republic.

    Read Also:Offa robbery: Court summons IGP over Saraki’s absence

    Okupe also served as Director of Communications of the Presidential campaigns of two former presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan and later served as senior special assistant on Media and Public Affairs to both Presidents.

    Director General, Abubakar Bukola Saraki Campaign Organisation, Hon. Mohammed Wakil, in the announcement, said that Okupe will work with other top professionals in the team to effectively communicate the campaign messages of Dr. Saraki to the people of Nigeria and the international community.

  • Saraki visits victims of Lafia gas explosion

    …says PMB has failed on security

     

     

    The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, Monday suspended his political activity in Lafia to visit the victims of gas explosion which claimed lives and properties worth millions.

    Senator Bukola Saraki who was in the state in furtherance to his consultations to pick the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP ) presidential ticket for the 2019 presidential election also condoled with the government and people of Nasarawa state.

    The presidential aspirant cut short his visit and went to Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital in Lafia where the victims of the fire incident were taken to for treatment before they were eventually transferred to the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, and national hospital, Abuja.

    He said it is rather unfortunate that the country is losing people who can add value to development of the country and expressed sadness that some of them they are no more.

    The senate president however stated that as a government and a concerned citizen, “We will ensure security of lives and property through provision of basic infrastructure and amenities that can forestall incidences as ugly as the one we have just witnessed”.

    “I want to stress hear that there is no amount of politics that should undermine the lives of fellow Nigerians,” he said.

    While addressing a large crowed of PDP supporters at the party secretariat, the senate president said it is time for the north central to also occupy the presidency of the country having supported other zones in the past.

    He said, the reason for his seeking to be elected as the president of the country was the failure of President Buhari to address the security and poverty challenges Nigerians are going through.

    He said that as a man who is from the north central, he is solidly behind the development of the region and the country at large.

  • I will clinch PDP Presidential ticket- Saraki

    …urges Nigerians to stop Buhari

     

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Friday, disclosed that he is sure of emerging as the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) ahead of the party’s October 6 primaries.

    He stated that his desire to become Nigeria’s President is not just an ambition but a reality.

    He therefore enjoined Nigerians to stop President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan to continue in office beyond 2019.

    Saraki stated that voting out Buhari is the “only way to ensure national unity and security”.

    The Senate President who was in Owerri, the Imo state capital to meet with PDP stakeholders ahead of the October 6, Presidential primary, noted that “Nigeria has never been so divided in ethnicity, politics and religion”.

    According to him, “Nigeria needs a President who would unite all parts of the country, respect national character, grow local businesses and support entrepreneurial skills”.

    He observed that “poverty,lost of job opportunities, hardship were currently on the increase”.

    Saraki noted further that, “Nigeria has never been this divided. People are afraid to be called Nigerians. Ethnicity and religion have taken over. There is no inclusion anymore, no fairness, no Federal Character”.

    He continued that, “no job, businesses are dying. Survival of businesses is survival of the country. Poverty is everywhere.”

    He said that if not for God and the masses, Buhari would have removed him as the president of the senate three years ago

    According to him,”I will continue to fight for the masses. We have to change the leadership. We need a leadership that would ensure justice and fair distribution of national appointments. As a president, I will ensure everybody has a seat on his table. I will restore global reputation. Countries are built by handwork and vision.

    “South East people are hardworking, their entrepreneurial spirit is wonderful .As a president, I will partner south East to emerge the next tiger of Africa in business .You don’t build what you don’t have. I therefore appeal to the delegates to vote wisely.

    Read Also: Saraki’s presidential aspiration a joke, says APC

    “We must change Buhari with a man that has capacity ,integrity and vision in order to realise our potentials. I believe in restructuring that would give States opportunities to realise their potentials. I promoted made in Aba products.As a president i will support local businesses and ensure property.

    ” We need to have a President that will ensure prosperity, nobody wants a hand out. I am committed to the development of Southeast because it is in the best interest of Nigeria. You need the President that has the youthfulness, the energy to deliver.”

    Chairman of PDP in Imo state, Charles Ezekwem ,said that Igbo were interested in a presidential candidate that would restructure the country and create an additional state in the south East.

    Ezekwem said ” I have seen everything positive in Saraki.His defection made PDP chances of clinching the president easy.
    Igbo want restructuring and fairness. Saraki has the capacity, strength, pedigree, academic background to move Nigeria. “

  • Court to hear suits against change of Senate leadership Sept 19

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed September 19 for the hearing of about six suits seeking to stop the planned removal of Bukola Saraki as Senate President.

    In the main, all the suits want the court to declare as unlawful Saraki’s removal from office via means other than that provided in Section 50(2)(c) of the Constitution.

    Section 50(2) provides: “The President or Deputy President of the Senate or the Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives shall vacate his office…. (c) if he is removed from office by a resolution of the Senate or of the House of Representatives, as the case may be, by the votes of not less than two-thirds majority of the members of that House.”

    Read Also:Ojukwu’s children reject Bianca’s bid for Senate

    The September 19 hearing date was chosen Thursday by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba to enable parties file all necessary papers and prepare adequately.

    The suits include: United People’s Congress (UPC) vs. Attorney General of the Federation & four others (FHC/ABJ/CS/944/2018); Okpako Grant vs. All Progressives Congress & others (FHC/ABJ/CS/948/2018) and Senator Rafiu Adebayo & one other vs. The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria & others (FHC/ABJ/CS/872/2018).

    Others are: Hon. Benjamin Tivfa vs. IGP & others (FHC/ABJ/CS/822/2018); The Incorporated Trustees of C.S.O.C.L.O. vs. Senator Bukola Saraki and others (FHC/ABJ/CS/936/2018); and Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere & another vs. The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria & others (FHC/ABJ/CS/890/2018).

    UPC, in the suit filed by its lawyer, Chief M. A. Igwe, stated that there was need for a formal court’s pronouncement on the proper interpretation of the provision of the Constitution on the proper mode of changing the leadership of a federal legislative house.

    In a supporting affidavit deposed to by its National Chairman, Kenneth Ibe-Kalu, the plaintiff claimed that the determination of the suit would guide persons seeking election on its platform into the National Assembly as to their rights when elected as legislators as well as the rights of their party.

    The UPC said it is already planning a retreat, which will be regular, for all its candidates for the 2019 elections, to let the candidates understand their rights and powers, including their rights and powers as sought to be declared by the court.

    It added that: “As a registered political party, the plaintiff has a right to know the true position of the law as provided by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), as the provisions of the Constitution are not self-executory.

    “That it is only a court set up under the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as this Honourable Court that has the power to interpret the Constitution”.

    The plaintiff wants the court to declare:  “That the President of the Senate, the Deputy President of the Senate, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives can only be removed from office by the provisions of section 50(1) (a) and (b) and section 50 (2) (c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended and in particular, can only be removed by a resolution of that House by votes of members not less than two-thirds majority of ALL the members of that House.”

    It also seeks a declaration “that the two-thirds majority for removal of President of the Senate, the Deputy President of the Senate, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives as provided in section 50(1) (a) and (b) and section 50 (2) (c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended refers to two-thirds of All members of that House and not two-thirds of members present at the sitting.”

    Defendants in the suit are: the Attorney General of the Federation, National Assembly, President of the Senate, Speaker, House of Representatives and Clerk of the National Assembly.