Ag President must obey our resolution – Saraki

9 min read 1,778 words 3 views

Overwhelmed by negative reactions to some observations on the
floor of the Senate, the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki
on Thursday night held a secret meeting with the Acting President,
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

Investigation conducted by our correspondent revealed that the
Senate President’s meeting with the Acting President was based on
“some developments that occurred in the Senate during the week,
including the suspension of consideration of further nominations by
the Executive in protest against the retention of the Acting
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC),
Mr. Ibrahim Magu, and the consequent threats of impeachment by some
Senators.

A source said: “The Senate President met with the Acting
President. He actually came alone and without the paraphernalia of
his office to underscore his commitment to rapprochement between
the Executive and the National Assembly.

“Saraki took time to explain a few things to the Acting
President, but the talks bordered on the clarification of a few
misgivings, especially the rumour that he was planning to become
the Acting President or instigating the Senate against the
Presidency.

“He also took time to explain why the Senate wanted its
resolutions respected in line with the principle of separation of
powers.

“Above all, the session was actually frank.”

Findings made by our correspondent also showed that Thursday’s
meeting between Osinbajo and Saraki was preceded by a visit the
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress ( APC), Chief
John Odigie-Oyegun, paid the Acting President on Wednesday
night.

Before his visit to Osinbajo, Odigie-Oyegun was said to have
reached out to the Senate leadership, asking them to prevail on
warring senators to tread softly so as not to plunge the nation
into unnecessary crisis.

A government source said: “The APC National chairman came at a
time the Acting President was about to have a meeting with a select
group of government officials. He was asked to join the meeting,
which bordered on the battle line drawn by the Senate.

“During the session, the APC National chairman said he had
interacted with Saraki and advised the Senate leadership and
Senators to ‘lie low’ and avoid anything capable that was capable
of plunging the nation into crisis.

“Oyegun also said the APC could not understand why the party in
power would be in opposition against itself.

“No one can say if Oyegun’s intervention was responsible for the
visit of the Senate President to Osinbajo.”

There were indications yesterday that the Presidency had
uncovered four planks on which the Senate is hinging its threats of
impeachment.

One of them is the running battle between the Presidency and the
Senate over continued stay of the Acting Chairman of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, in
office.

A reliable Presidency source said: “Intelligence report revealed
that some senators have identified four issues to take the
Presidency on.

“These issues are insistence on the removal of Magu; the renewal
of the row between the chamber and the Comptroller-General of the
Nigerian Customs Service, Col. Hamid Ali(rtd); the alleged
denigrating comments of the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory
Committee Against Corruption(PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay and alleged
constitutional breaches by the Acting President and the Presidency
in general.

“Although the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, told
the party leadership that the impeachment kite caught him unawares
and he swiftly overruled the senators behind it, intelligence
report indicated that “it was a kite flying agenda” by some
senators.

“The government does not wholly believe the defence of the
Senate leadership. It is closely monitoring events and putting
safety valves in place, including legal dimension.

“Part of the intelligence report showed that some senators had
plotted the impeachment script before the Tuesday session.

“Those who tabled the motion were actually not aware that the
Acting President had returned to the country.”

It was learnt at press time yesterday that some past leaders
(names withheld) had teamed up with the Acting President against
the threats from the Senate.

“These leaders have told the Acting President to remain focused
and ignore elements trying to cause political upheaval in the
country.

“In fact, they assured Osinbajo of their support. These are
leaders who the government thought had identified with the
Senate.”

The tone for the impeachment process was set by two issues
raised on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday.

The Senate had on Tuesday taken exception to the retention of
the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, and the Executive’s
alleged non-compliance with the resolutions of the Senate.

The President of the Senate had said: “This is an issue that we
have to once and for all address. We cannot pass laws and see that
the laws are not being obeyed. This resolution must be obeyed by
the Acting President, otherwise we will take appropriate actions
and resolutions.”

On the same day, Senators Eyinanya Abaribe and Kabiru Marafa had
under Point of Order asked the Senate President to become Acting
President in the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari and the
Acting President, who was away for AU meeting in Addis Ababa.

Marafa said: “If the President is not around, the Vice President
should act, and if the Vice President is not around, the Senate
President, who is the number 3 citizen should become Acting
President.”