Read the statement below…
We note the statement issued by the Secretary to the Federal Government,
Mr. David Babachir Lawal that the Senate is not the one on trial in the
Forgery case instituted by the Attorney General of the Federation
against the Senate President and his Deputy.
We disagree with him on this position and we maintain our earlier stand
that it is the Senate that is the target of the present attempt to
intimidate the legislature to force a leadership change in the Senate.
Mr. Babachir Lawal should tell us how reasonable it is to conclude that
when the President of Nigeria and the Vice President are being jointly
tried in a suit whose outcome can remove them from office, it is not the
Buhari Government that is being targeted.
It is also imperative to clearly state that contrary to the claim by the
SGF, neither the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki nor
Senator Ike Ekweremadu were mentioned by the petitioners, the statements
by those interviewed by the police or even the police report.
Meanwhile, let us refreshen Mr. Lawal’s memory about the facts of the
1999 case. It is obvious that the Senate President and his deputy are
not being accused of certificate forgery as it happened in ex-Speaker
Salisu Buhari’s case. Therefore, nobody should compare an apple with
orange. Also, neither Saraki nor Ekweremadu is below the age requirement
for their present position as it was alleged in the Buhari case.
Attempts to make the two situations look similar is to present all
Nigerians as having no sense of history.
We also know that nobody can be accused of forging his own signature.
The executive is in no position to determine what is the correct
Standing Orders of the Senate. The Senate President and his Deputy were
as at the morning of the June 9, 2015 inauguration of the Senate mere
Senators-elect and could therefore not have been in a position to
influence any alteration in the rule book.
The Senate as an institution, and indeed the National Assembly, has
spoken about their understanding of the present assault on their
independence by the executive’. We maintain that this trial is a design
by the Executive to criminalize the internal affairs of the Senate to
create a distraction for the leadership of the Senate, force a
leadership change and cow the legislators.
Those behind this plot find this trial more expedient and important than
finding tangible solutions to the multi-various socio-economic problems
bedeviling the country. However, we are sure they will fail in this
attempt. We only hope they will allow the judiciary to truly and
creditably perform its duties and give independent verdict on the case.
Signed
Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi
Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity
