BY BEN MEMULETIWON
There seems to be no let in the political storm that has been gathering around the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, as a group in the National Assembly, operating under the aegis of Parliamentary Support Group, PSG, has sworn to initiate a process that would compel him to step aside.
The PSG said the resignation or impeachment of the Senate President had become necessary in order to pave the way for unfettered investigation in all the allegations levelled against him by the Nigeria Police.
If the group carries out its threat on Wednesday, as they promised they would, then, the nation may expect another dramatic session at the Senate when the upper chamber of the National Assembly resumes work after Tuesday’s commemoration of June 12.
Already, PSG’s announcement, tension has started building up within the National Assembly.
To execute the threat, the lawmakers would rely on precedents set in earlier cases affecting the leadership of the National Assembly, whereby anytime the Senate President or the Speaker of the House of Representatives was under any form of investigation, he or she was forced to step down.
Abdulmumin Jibrin, the arrowhead of the PSG’s plot in NASS, told journalists during the weekend that the Senate President was facing a personal trial and should not drag the National Assembly into it.
“The police investigation of Saraki (allegedly) funding some political thugs who decided on their own to use the same tools to do robbery is very personal to him,” Jibrin said. “He needs to step down to allow unfettered investigation.”
A Senate member of the PSG concurred, saying that Hon Jibrin was not alone in the campaign to oust Saraki as President of the Senate. “We only voted that, as the (Group’s) leader,” the Senator said, “he (Jibrin) should do the talking so we can have a coordinated public perspective. There are 65 Senators with him on this. Two are standing by.”
Jibrin expressed confidence that his group would succeed in its self-assigned task because, according to him, they had history on their side. Fourth Republic NASS, he continued, was replete with precedents of resignations by the leadership when faced with dilemmas like this.
Therefore, he said: “Saraki should honour the Senate, the legislature and the entire country by resigning his position. It’s not an inheritance. The entire legislature is being dragged into the mud of a criminal matter. It’s a matter of honour. He should go and clear his name first but he has to step down.”
Another lawmaker, also a former police officer, said: “four presiding officers were in similar circumstances. They stepped down for probe. Saraki has to also step down for probe. Adolphus Wabara was accused of collecting bribe from the then Education Minister, Prof. Fabian Osuji, to pass the ministry’s budget when he was the Senate President, he stepped down. He went and cleared his name.”
He recalled how Evan(s) Enwerem, who was accused of certificate forgery, also stepped down, but the case did not go to court. It is on record that he did not stay glued to the seat as Senate President.
“There was also the case of Salisu Buhari, the Speaker of the first House Reps in the Fourth Republic who was enmeshed in certificate forgery and lost his seat. His case went to court but he was later pardoned. We also had Mrs. Patricia Etteh, who as Speaker, was accused of inflating contract. She stepped down and at the end of the day, she wasn’t found wanting.
“Senator Bukola Saraki is too sophisticated not to follow the path of honour and do the same thing. I hope he won’t drag the whole Senate and even the National Assembly into his personal problem.”
Efforts to reach Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser, Media, to the Senate President, Monday, failed as his phone kept saying he was unreachable.
