STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, HIS EXCELLENCY (DR.)
ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI, CON, AT A WORLD PRESS CONFERENCE
HELD AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMPLEX ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2018.
1. It is a matter of record that yesterday, lawmakers and staff of the
National Assembly were prevented from entering the National Assembly
Complex by heavily armed security agents of the Department
of State Services (DSS). All entries to the Complex were blocked
as early as 6.30 am. The National Assembly, the seat of democracy in
Nigeria, was under lockdown. Senators and Members of the House of
Representatives were prevented from gaining access.
2. The ensuring standoff was a show of shame that played itself out over
several hours in full view of the country. In no circumstances should this
have happened. And we as a nation reaped the bitter fruits
instantaneously, as evident in media images relayed around the world,
images that shame us as a democratic nation. The siege was also an act of
cowardice by those seeking to carry out an illegal impeachment of
the leadership of the Senate in flagrant
disregard of the law. People who seek control at all costs, by whatever
means, never minding the injury to democratic norms.
3. We have to say that this is not about us – Abubakar Bukola Saraki or
Yakubu Dogara as an individual. It is not about Ike Ekweremadu, nor
is it about Yusuf Lasun. We are speaking for my colleagues
when I say that this is about the soul of Nigeria, what we represent as a
country, (people) and our standing in the comity of nations. This is a
country where so much is expected of us, so many rungs of the ladder that
we are supposed to have ascended as a nation. Instead we are wallowing in
impunity and illegal show of force, all of which retard our progress.
4. This is most disheartening. We don’t get any joy in saying: We said so.
We don’t. However, some of you may recall that about two years
ago, I stated that there was a government within this
government, to a purpose that was not in the interest of what the people
voted for. I said it then, and now, almost on a daily basis, we are seeing
the manifestations of that government within a government. It beats one’s
imagination how the head of a security agency could have authorized the
brazen assault on the legislature that we saw yesterday. Only recently we
saw in Benue how 8 members of the 30 members of State House of Assembly
with the collaboration of security forces, DSS and police tried to impeach
the Governor. Despite the threat to our lives, we shall continue to fight
impunity and injustice in this country.
5. Happily, by the actions that Nigerians took yesterday, they
demonstrated our strong resolve as a nation not to give
ground to oppression. The legislature, more than any other institution
in this country, more than any other arm of government,
represents the will of the people. We are elected by the
people, and an assault on the legislature is an assault on the people of
Nigeria. The forcible shutdown of the legislature was an unconscionable
assault on a national institution, and thanks to all your efforts,
the aggressors have been put to shame.
6. The resistance mounted by staff of the National Assembly, our
colleagues in both chambers and Civil Society Organisations
(CSOs) who refused to leave the entrance of this Complex until the siege
was broken, strengthens our faith in the people of this country. The rain
fell, the sun rose, but Nigerians stood their ground in
defence of democracy. With the strength of will demonstrated
by everyone against unwarranted and unconstitutional
militaristic might, the siege could not stand.
7. By this, we have shown that Nigerians can resist
government within government in whatever guise, and this is humbling for
us. Those who sought to defend the attack on the National Assembly under
our leadership for their selfish ends have further affirmed our belief in
this country. They attempted to execute an illegal impeachment of the
leadership of the Senate without the backing of the law, but they
faltered. We are confident that, together, we shall always
defeat acts of unconstitutionality. The rule of law shall always prevail.
8. We want to thank Nigerians, Senators, Members of the
House of Representatives and National Assembly Staff, for standing up to
be counted for democracy during yesterday’s siege. We thank the thousands
who monitored the situation on radio, television and social media, voicing
their outrage at the siege, thereby sending a clear message to those that
hatched the plot that the Nigerian public would not buy this act of
gangsterism using instruments of state such as the DSS.
9. We also thank the international community – particularly the European
Union that visited the complex – and the international
press, for their prompt reactions to the invasion of the
National Assembly. CSOs and Socio-cultural groups were emphatic in
their statements during the crisis, and we very much appreciate their
vigilance.
10. Among the many that come up for special mention, we believe
that Honourable Boma Goodhead, a member of the House of Representatives,
stands out. She looked a masked security operative in the eye and dared
him to shoot. She let it be known that Nigerians would not
stand for the barricade at the National Assembly, that we would not be
cowed. It was another pointer to what is possible in this country when
women take their place in leadership.
11. We applaud all who kicked against the atrocity and who stood firm
until sanity prevailed. We are proud of how everyone conducted
themselves in what was no doubt a tense standoff. The principled
stance and defiant reactions to the ugly incident, proved crucial to the
failure of the plot. This is what we have been saying about the power of
the people. The role of the people in defending democracy is paramount.
12. We thank the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, for his handling
of the situation we were all confronted with yesterday. His decisive
action went a long way towards restoring confidence and the image of
our country. It sent a powerful message – that the DSS cannot
be recklessly deployed against institutions of our democracy. The path
of leadership is not by party, and we must commend it
wherever it is found. Mr. Acting President did the right thing. However,
the damage control so far does not address the question of how this
invasion was allowed to happen in the first place.
13. This is an incident concerning which we have it on good authority that
it has been in the planning for months. How is it that such an atrocity
was not prevented? How is it that the masterminds were not deterred? Very
serious questions remain that can only be answered by a full
investigation. We call for an investigation, and we demand
that all perpetrators are brought to book. We owe it to ourselves to
ensure that such a situation never occurs again. Many
agencies have abused their powers and acted outside the ambit of the law
on occasion. Where abuses occur, similar actions must be taken immediately
and full investigation instituted.
14. We must say that when we fought for Change, we could not have
envisaged a scenario such as unfolded yesterday – an atmosphere where
people cannot tolerate dissent, or mere differences of opinion as to the
future of our dear country. This is not the Change we fought for. We did
not fight for instruments of state to be used to oppress Nigerians and
their lawmakers. We know that we, certainly, did not fight just so the
legislature could be undermined and subjected to this onslaught.
15. There are many lessons to be drawn from the ugly incident we all
witnessed yesterday. For one, government must ensure that
security agencies remain neutral and act in line with the position
of the constitution as well as their enabling laws. Heads of
Agencies should be accountable, and those who step out of line must be
held responsible for their actions. Enough with impunity. Enough
with the reckless and senseless deployment of militaristic
force. Enough.
16. In this dark cloud, we can see the silver lining, and that silver
lining is the commitment of Nigerians to defending their hard-won
democracy. We are more than encouraged by the strength, the
determination and the resolve of ordinary Nigerians to see to it
that democracy survives and thrives in this country. We are also
strengthened by the determination of the media to report and analyse the
truth as they see it.
17. We want to reassure Nigerians that, on our part, we remain committed
to working for a country governed by the rule of law. Our desire is to
have a society where there will be equity and justice, not oppression. We
stand committed to doing our utmost as lawmakers to ensure
that the responsibility and functionality of governance are
met. Although we are on annual break, we are daily reviewing the
situation and are alive to the responsibility to take
action as necessary. Unfortunately, yesterday’s shutdown prevented us from
meeting with INEC, as scheduled, to address their request. We will
continue to do all to ensure a smooth and successful 2019 election. In the
spirit of that we also appeal to Mr. President to sign the
new 2018 Electoral Act Amendment Bill in line with his
recommendations, which has been sent for his assent.
18. We remain confident in the support of my colleagues and their focus
on the job at hand, which is to serve the Nigerian
people. My confidence is unshaken. We remain committed to the
success of the historic 8th National Assembly, and to the
continued progress of our country.
19. In closing, let me reiterate that neither myself,
Deputy Senate President or Speaker belong to the class of politicians
that are desperate to stay in power by al means and at all costs. The day,
two thirds of our members feel they do not have confidence in
our leadership, we will gracefully bow out. I repeat again and
again, this is not about us, but about respecting the constitution and the
rule of law.
Thank you.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE