EIGHTH TIME LUCKY
The so-called forgery of Senate Rules is an unnecessary distraction, argues Nwobodo Chidiebere
The eighth Senate recently celebrated its one year in office. The political machination and hullaballoo that heralded the emergence of its bipartisan leadership, is gradually settling down. I will wish to use this medium to extend my congratulations to leadership of Senate under the watch of Dr Bukola Saraki—the Senate President, for steering the turbulent ship of 8th Senate for one year in the midst of controversies that greeted its emergence against permutations and projections of anti-democratic elements cloaked as party leaders.
Of worthy of note and acknowledgement was the re-election of Senator Ike Ekweremadu as deputy Senate president for unprecedented three consecutive terms. His third political voyage as deputy Senate president of eighth Senate is unparalleled, having been elected as deputy Senate president in All Progressives Congress’ slight majority Senate. Dr Ekweremadu’s third missionary journey as deputy Senate president was not as a result of the so-called pre-Senate leadership election deal between Dr Bukola Saraki and the PDP senators, but a proof of his legislative prowess cum bipartisan overwhelming support in the Senate.
After the emergence of the leadership of eighth Senate, some aggrieved senators who believed that they were outfoxed in the political chess game that enthroned Saraki and Ekweremadu as Senate president and deputy, respectively, went to court under the oxymoronic name of Senate Unity Forum to challenge electoral processes which threw up these gentlemen as co-pilot of the Nigerian Senate. After tactless shenanigans and media grandstanding as regards the forgery case at Federal High Court, Abuja, the stark reality of be- ing on wild goose chase has finally enveloped the consciousness of these senators, who have silently withdrawn their support from the dead-on-arrival case for lack of substantial evidences and empirical facts.
A new twist is being added to this forgery allegation case. There is unfolding conspiracy by those I will describe as political scavengers and tyrannical elements, who are ardent ideologue of absolute political power which contradicts democratic norms and ethos. These are dark agents of dictatorship whose morbid intention is to cripple or annex legislative arm of government by subjecting the current Senate leadership under perpetual torments and harassment, using state institutions cum apparatus, while masquerading its extremist exploit to decimate opposing views under the guise of anti-corruption fight.
Prior to now, hitherto strong critics of this administration have been thrown into jail extrajudicially using every flimsy corruption allegation the scavengers could lay hands on. Even the dumbest political neophyte knows that on-going persecution of Senate President Saraki has political coatings on it. Those who thought that the entire Senate leadership could be cowed into becoming a rubber stamp chamber by dragging Senate President Saraki to the Code of Conduct Tribunal, has been flabbergasted by the resoluteness of the Senate and its leadership to protect legislative independence—which represents the bedrock of our nascent democracy.
Since the promulgation of eighth Senate, deputy Senate President, Ekweremadu has been playing the role of a stabilising force in the Senate. His proven leadership experience vis-à-vis emotional intelligence has helped to bring stability and confidence in the leadership of Senate, irrespective of distractions being faced by Senator Saraki as a result of his trial at CCT. Dr Ekweremadu, being the de facto leader of the opposition party, the PDP by virtue of the position he is presently occupying, has not hesitated in offering constructive criticisms on how the Nigerian state is being run by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government. His objective critic of the government in some national issues is not borne out of hatred for President Buhari or for the sole purpose of playing extremist opposition but the love of the country which was epitomised in his recent book—“Who will love my country; ideas for building the Nigeria of our dreams.”
From the unfolding events in the last few weeks, it appears that the tyrants in this administration abhors Senator Ekweremadu’s patriotic role in stabilising the 8th Senate in the absence of Senate President Saraki, and his courageous statements in the face of rampaging dictatorial tendencies. Those anti-democratic elements, who view Ekweremadu as the only standing objective/ opposing voice has being scavenging all the political debris looking for what to deplore in tarnishing his unblemished integrity in the eyes of some politically naïve Nigerians.
This desperate plot to rob in Ekweremadu began few weeks ago when unsolicited and premeditated anti-corruption ambassadorial award was given to him in his office by representatives of EFCC in the National Assembly, and was vehemently denied in less than 24 hours by the same commission just to embarrass Ekweremadu. It has been placed on record that he never lobbied or canvassed for such an award and did not deserve such media embarrassment which placated the bloated ego of those gunning for his head.
The endless voyage of illusions being embarked upon by political scavengers, who are incidentally turning into avengers, just to get at Ekweremadu for daring to express his constitutional rights to contest the position of deputy Senate president, is being brought to fore by current move to instigate criminal charges against Saraki, Ekweremadu and the outgone clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa on the baseless and unsubstantiated allegation of conniving to forge Senate rules, which is yet to be proven by the now foot-dragging Senate Unity Forum in the ill-fated suit they filed at Federal High Court, Abuja.
No single senator both past and present, has come out to elucidate the misery behind the socalled forgery of Senate rules. Ironically, a former senator who served as consultant to the defunct Senate Unity Forum- has not told Nigerians how and where the criminal act was perpetrated.
It has been reported from unconfirmed sources, that the political scavengers who are on vengeance mission against Ekweremadu may be planning to use upcoming long vacation of the National Assembly to extend the persecution of Senate President, Saraki to his loyal deputy—Senator Ekweremadu. Their illogical thinking is that, fighting Senate president and deputy simultaneously may shut down the Senate, thereby exposing their mission of destroying the legislative institution to discerning Nigerians.
I think this administration has opened several political battle fields—which are not only draining its energies but distracting it from fulfilling its tall campaign promises to already economically strangulated Nigerians, and should not complicate national issues by embarking on another ill-fated mission of political conquest at the detriment of national development via good governance. Chidiebere wrote from Abuja