- Slams Senate President as opposition leader
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – The Senator representing Katsina South Senatorial District on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abu Ibrahim has warned that Senator Bukola Saraki’s refusal to relinquish the Senate Presidency may strip the upper legislative chamber of peace and tranquility in the days ahead.
He also slammed the Senate President of providing conducive atmosphere for the opposition to gain grounds in attacking President Muhammadu Buhari despite being a top member of the ruling APC
“For somebody to be in the same party, same government and he did not see anything good in the President was disturbing”, the Senator said
He stated that after quitting APC, Saraki should logically follow up by surrendering the nation’s number three seat to the party that brought him to the National Assembly.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Senator Ibrahim praised Saraki for leaving APC, but insisted that the path he and others have chosen is purely for their political survival and personal gains rather than the so-called ‘national interest’ being peddled in some circles.
According to Senator Ibrahim, the calls on the Kwara-born politician to resign as Senate President is based on global parliamentary conventions that allow the majority party to produce the leadership; Senate President, and the Majority Leader among others.
Senator Ibrahim, who urged Saraki to be matured and gentleman enough in his actions, said; “If he does not, we will never have peace in that Senate because it is absolutely clear that APC has majority to produce the leadership.”
He described as day-dreaming and laughable claims by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of having majority members in the Senate with recent defections.
“Saraki should just resign as Senate President. I hear the PDP claiming majority, but it is crystal clear that APC has the majority. We will have more members. We will conduct two bye-elections and we will have the two members.”
“We also have some alliance with APGA. It is clear that APC has majority. APC with majority should produce the leadership in the Senate. 49 cannot produce the leadership”, he maintained
On allegations that some senators made attempts to reconvene plenary on Wednesday by breaking into the Senate chamber, the lawmaker said nothing of such happened, adding; “How do you break into the chamber? If we like, we can reconvene legally because it is legal for us to reconvene.”
He argued that the APC Senators do not have any reason to break into the chamber given their numbers, saying; “I will never subscribe to that. We can reconvene. The rules are there that if we are up to 30 we can reconvene.
“Why should we break into the chamber when we can reconvene legally and do what we want to do?”
Ibrahim explained that the Senators are constitutionally permitted to reconvene their plenary, and there was no reason for anyone to consider breaking into the chamber.
The lawmaker however said it will be difficult to enjoy peace in the NASS if its leadership does not work and seek for it, adding that “Peace is a function of leadership.”
He said being a four-term Senator, it would be difficult for anyone to manipulate him, adding; “Nobody was elected as Senate President. We all came here as senators. So we have equal footing. We gave you leadership.”
On his allegations that Senator Saraki became an opposition to the APC administration, Ibrahim said; “For the past two years, Saraki has undermined the government.”
For him, allowing frivolous motions to attack the President and the government was quite unfortunate, so, “his continued stay as senate president did not augur well for the APC government”, the lawmaker said.
