The Senate in session
The knives would be drawn Tuesday when the Senate reconvene to address the political storm overheating the polity. Some APC senators told our reporters that the removal of Bukola Saraki as President of the Senate in paramount on their agenda.
“The PDP represented by Saraki has lost all moral rights to lead the Senate and indeed the National Assembly. APC is still in the majority and we are taking the necessary action when we resume”
But inside the camp of the PDP, some senators are plotting the impeachment and removal of President Muhammadu Buhari whom the claim had been fouling up the democratic air with his dictatorial tendencies. They insist that the “crude suspension of CJN Walter Onnoghen is the last straw for which Buhari must not escape impeachment”.
However Political Economist Intelligence report showed that neither of the parties would muster the two-thirds majority needed to effect any impeachment. A few APC and PDP senators, it was learnt, would not flow with their parties. Some, though not happy with the turn of events, are abstaining from any form of voting.
The impeachment fever has spread to the Presidency prompting the APC leadership to call for a meeting with its Senators with President Buhari. The President will be hosting All Progressives Congress (APC) senators to a presidential dinner.
Also invited to the dinner are senatorial candidates of the APC at the forthcoming February 19 National Assembly elections. The invitation letters to the dinner billed to hold at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa was signed by the Director-General of Buhari Campaign Organisation, Rotimi Amaechi.
The invitation reads inter alia: “All Progressives Congress Campaign Council wishes to invite all serving APC senators and all senatorial candidates to a dinner with President Muhammadu Buhari.”
This is coming after the leading opposition group, the CUPP has asked the National Assembly to reconvene and commence impeachment moves against the president over Justice Walter Onnoghen suspension.
The Spokesman of the CUPP and National Chairman of the Action Peoples Party (APP), Chief Ikenga Ugochinyere , told the press on Sunday that the Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, both of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had been marked for arrest Monday night.
According to him, Senators Ahmed Lawan, Godswill Akpabio and Hope Uzodimma, would be announced “factional” Senate President, Deputy Senate President and Senate Leader, respectively while Hon. Gbajabiamila and Abdulminim Jibrin were set for the offices of “factional” Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively. He also alleged that Senators Ali Ndume, Omo-Agege, Dr. George Akume, Abdullahi Adamuand others were arrowheads in the move to oust Saraki.
He claimed that Saraki, Ekweremadu, Dogara, Ben Bruce, Dino Melaye and others would be stopped from accessing the National Assembly to give the APC members the room to effect their plot.
He said: “The CUPP is once again raising alarm, having received incontrovertible facts over a fresh plot that has been hatched and which has received the go-ahead nod of President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government for a violent, undemocratic, unlawful, illegal and demonic takeover of the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly on Tuesday, 29th January, 2019.
“The APC-led federal government is of the firm belief that Tuesday, is their best and last chance to effect the changes as their control of the judiciary will be put to use to ensure there is no reversal of justice for the present occupants.
“The Senate will reconvene on Tuesday, to discuss the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The APC is ready to do whatever it takes to destroy the very fulcrum of our constitutional democracy on Tuesday, and have vowed, it is tomorrow (today) or never.
“The judicial coup which they believed was supposed to be more difficult went very easily beyond their imagination hence, the need to complete the takeover of the National Assembly immediately so that the distraction of the election campaigns will be put to use,” the CUPP alleged.
