President Goodluck Jonathan
- APC senators accuse colleagues of foisting impunity on the nation
- Mark says Senate won’t interfere in Tambuwal’s ordeal
- Youth group gives 10-day ultimatum to reopen N’Assembly
By Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja
President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday held a meeting with the
aggrieved senators on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
for a deal.
THISDAY was reliably informed on Wednesday that the president, in
reaction to PDP senators’ decision to shut down legislation in the upper
chamber, summoned the aggrieved party members to a meeting at the
Presidential Villa.
The meeting which was held at 10p.m., was said to have been attended by
the president along with members of the National Working Committee
(NWC) of the party.
One of the senators who did not want to be named, told THISDAY that the
president and NWC members opted to swiftly convene the meeting because
of the consciousness of the threat posed to PDP’s chances at the 2015
polls by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The senators had on Tuesday threatened to shut down legislation in
protest of their losses at the party’s ward congresses on Saturday,
saying President Jonathan had handed PDP structures in their states to
the governors.
They resolved that until the president and the NWC of the party reverse
the trend in a way that will enhance their chances to return to the
Senate in 2015 the upper legislative chamber would remain shut down
indefinitely.
Indeed, while they adjourned sitting by standing down all the items on
the Order Paper on Tuesday, they also made real their threat to
perpetuate the action indefinitely as they repeated the same trend
yesterday by adjourning sittings till November 11, throwing out all
matters slated for consideration.
They threatened to ensure that the trend continues until the president addresses their grievances.
According to them, they had given maximum support to the president
since inception and hence did not deserve to be left in the cold as
shown by the output of the last ward congresses of PDP.
However, on Wednesday, angry youths under the aegis of Nigerian Youth
Movement for Peace, Empowerment and Transformation stormed the National
Assembly and issued a 10-day ultimatum to lawmakers to re-open the
institution or face violent and forceful take-over of the parliament.
The group said they were enraged by the federal lawmakers’ decision to
shut down both chambers of the federal legislature in pursuit of their
selfish objectives.
Whereas Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal,
had on October 28, defected from the PDP to the APC and consequently
announced adjournment of sittings to December 3, the senators on Tuesday
threatened to shut down legislation in protest of their losses at the
party’s ward congresses on Saturday
The youth group which was denied entrance into the National Assembly
premises by security operatives which shut the gate threatened that if
in the next 10 days, the National Assembly does not resume legislative
business, the youths would be mobilised across the 36 states of the
federation and the long gate would be pulled down to enable them gain
entrance into the premises.
The group’s spokesman, Rex Anighoro, described the Senate’s decision
to shut down the chamber as a show of impunity, selfishness and an
aberration which he said would not be allowed to go unchallenged.
He said: “The odious oddity is the senators’ decision to engage in
macabre dance. Nigeria’s union is sick and needs medical attention.
These people are serving their personal and parochial interests. They
expressed solidarity for Tambuwal’s defection not on the basis of
morality but because of their selfish interests.
“Because they lost at their ward congresses, therefore, they shut the
Senate and declared solidarity for Tambuwal with the intention to put
the president under pressure. That is why we are saying no to impunity
in every stratum of government. This is an aberration. The people of
Nigeria are not in their calculations. They are only concerned about the
survival of their selfish interests,” he said.
Also castigating Tambuwal and the entire National Assembly, he added:
“It’s a shame for Tambuwal to go on recess when he’s needed most.
Members of Nigeria’s National Assembly are the highest paid in the world
while our military are the least paid in the world. They shut down the
National Assembly when Adamawa, Borno, Yobe are on fire and money keeps
coming into their pocket. It is a sin on them. People ought to rise up
against this impunity. It is a disservice to us.
“Tambuwal ought to be representing the youth groups. All over the
world, leadership age is coming down. We expected Tambuwal to give us
hope but sadly, he is eating the same pie. We are saying the House
should reconvene. If they don’t reconvene in the next 10 days, we will
mobilise all youth groups to compel them to reconvene or else, we will
pull down this gate and the congress of the people will take over the
National Assembly. If they don’t reconvene, it shows they are the real
Boko Haram (which should be fought),” he said.
Also speaking, Bishop Amakiri, said since Tambuwal, a lawyer, knew the
constitution provision in Section 68(1g), he should have honourably
resigned after announcing his defection on October 28.
However, Senate President, David Mark, yesterday swiftly reacted to the
threat by his colleagues in the PDP caucus that senators would team up
with members of the House of Representatives to impeach Jonathan in
expression of their solidarity with Tambuwal when the need arises.
Mark, while speaking before the parliament adjourned parliamentary
proceedings yesterday, said the Senate would not interfere in matters of
the House moreso that Tambuwal’s defection has now become the subject
of litigation. Nevertheless, he vowed to protect the interest of
legislature as the case may be.
“We are not to interfere in the internal affairs of each House.
However, as Chairman of the National Assembly, I cannot fold my arms or
pretend that all is well about the current crisis. I am therefore going
to do all I can to resolve the current impasse.
“Furthermore, the matter is already in a court of law; we cannot
therefore discuss the issues here. I want to assure all of you that I
will do the needful to protect and defend the legislature at all cost,”
Mark said.
However, unlike the situation on Tuesday, APC senators yesterday
attempted to stop PDP senators from adjourning proceedings in pursuit of
their personal goals but the opposition lawmakers lacked the required
capacity to do so through the voice vote.
Speaking with journalists thereafter, one of the opposition senators,
Babafemi Ojudu (Ekiti Central), lambasted his PDP colleagues, accusing
them of foisting on them and the entire nation the alleged impunity
reigning in their party.
According to Ojudu, the PDP senators are crying foul after falling
victims of their party’s impunity, threatening that if APC senators have
their way, they will re-open the chamber today and carry on with their
legislative assignment.
Further, Ojudu said legislation should be in the collective interest of
the nation and not in some individuals’ selfish interests, adding:
“Now, they have seen injustice, they are fighting. We have seen
injustice for more than two and half years. We wanted to fight, our
colleagues did not allow us to fight. Why must it be when it affects us
that we act?” he queried.
Ojudu who alleged that PDP senators were denying the opposition of the
opportunity to carry out their constitutional assignment, added: “People
should have standards. Now that they have seen that a lot of them are
no longer welcome back in their homes; now that they have realised that
they have made themselves slaves to the executive, they are shouting.
When you present yourself as a slave, definitely, you will be treated
as a slave. That is the consequence of their actions over the years. But
Nigeria voted them here to come and work. We must work... It is
unfortunate that the 2015 budget will be affected but we are in the
minority, we have our say but they have their way.”
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