Senate sabotaging Buhari’s govt, says Adamu

The senator representing Nasarawa West Senatorial District,
Abdullahi Adamu, has accused the Senate of taking decisions that
are frustrating the administration of President Muhammadu
Buhari.

Adamu’s position was contained in a statement on Tuesday.

He is one of the 10 lawmakers who stormed out of the Senate
chamber when the Senate passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill
seeking to reshuffle elections, which those loyal to Buhari have
opposed.

He said, “I believe we need to retrace our steps and reconsider
our stand as legislators on matters of public interest. Our party,
the APC, has the majority in both chambers of the National
Assembly, yet we hold the executive prisoner of politics that are
unhealthy for the polity. It is such a terrible irony that we
sabotage our own government by refusing to do our part in support
of the executive.

“Appointments requiring Senate approval are held up. The
consequence is that the public has nicknamed the President and his
administration ‘go-slow.’ The people gave us the mandate as a party
to deliver. With our control of the executive and the National
Assembly, there is no reason why the government cannot acquit
itself and fulfil the yearnings of the people.

“Perhaps, while we are consumed with sabotaging the
administration and stabbing one another in the back, we forget that
in less than a year from now, we shall be required to seek the
people’s re-validation of our mandate to sit in these hallowed
chambers. What shall we tell them?”

The lawmaker stated that part of his “crime” was his stand on
the amendment to the Electoral Act.

“Me and some of my colleagues were opposed to this amendment on
the grounds that it is not the duty of the Senate to determine the
order of elections. It had never been part of the Electoral Act and
there is no need to deny the commission the right to do its duty as
it deems fit. Happily, I am not alone in taking this stand. Some of
my colleagues are opposed to it too,” he said.

When contacted, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and
Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi-Abdullahi, said Adamu was
entitled to his opinion.

Sabi-Abdullahi said, “He is a senator, I am a senator. He is
entitled to his opinion, I am entitled to mine. Anything that we
did not discuss in the chamber is not subject to my reaction. I am
not here to react to whatever he has to say.”

The senator representing Nasarawa West Senatorial District,
Abdullahi Adamu, has accused the Senate of taking decisions that
are frustrating the administration of President Muhammadu
Buhari.

Adamu’s position was contained in a statement on Tuesday.

He is one of the 10 lawmakers who stormed out of the Senate
chamber when the Senate passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill
seeking to reshuffle elections, which those loyal to Buhari have
opposed.

He said, “I believe we need to retrace our steps and reconsider
our stand as legislators on matters of public interest. Our party,
the APC, has the majority in both chambers of the National
Assembly, yet we hold the executive prisoner of politics that are
unhealthy for the polity. It is such a terrible irony that we
sabotage our own government by refusing to do our part in support
of the executive.

“Appointments requiring Senate approval are held up. The
consequence is that the public has nicknamed the President and his
administration ‘go-slow.’ The people gave us the mandate as a party
to deliver. With our control of the executive and the National
Assembly, there is no reason why the government cannot acquit
itself and fulfil the yearnings of the people.

“Perhaps, while we are consumed with sabotaging the
administration and stabbing one another in the back, we forget that
in less than a year from now, we shall be required to seek the
people’s re-validation of our mandate to sit in these hallowed
chambers. What shall we tell them?”

The lawmaker stated that part of his “crime” was his stand on
the amendment to the Electoral Act.

“Me and some of my colleagues were opposed to this amendment on
the grounds that it is not the duty of the Senate to determine the
order of elections. It had never been part of the Electoral Act and
there is no need to deny the commission the right to do its duty as
it deems fit. Happily, I am not alone in taking this stand. Some of
my colleagues are opposed to it too,” he said.

When contacted, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and
Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi-Abdullahi, said Adamu was
entitled to his opinion.

Sabi-Abdullahi said, “He is a senator, I am a senator. He is
entitled to his opinion, I am entitled to mine. Anything that we
did not discuss in the chamber is not subject to my reaction. I am
not here to react to whatever he has to say.”