Senate Majority Leader, Senator Ali Ndume has raised the alarm over plots
to weaken the National Assembly, using the trial of Senate President
Bukola Saraki.
Ndume who did not name those behind the plot said while the trial of the
Senate President is politically motivated, the Senate will do all it can
to back the Saraki in his trials.
Speaking on the sidelines of the trial moments after his arrival at the
CCT at about 4pm, the Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, told pressmen that
he was just arriving at the CCT because he too was in court for
politically-motivated reasons.
“This is not just about Saraki,” Ndume said, I have been at the court
since 9am. They are pushing my case too to make sure they can only have
people that they can control in the National Assembly leadership.”
Ndume then chatted briefly with Senator Kabiru Gaya before making his way
into the tribunal.
Senator Ibrahim Gobir, representing Sokoto East, told reporters outside
the tribunal sitting that Saraki was the only option for Senate President.
“Our first option is Saraki,” Gobir said, “Our second option is Saraki,
and our third option is Saraki.”
Gobir, a second term Senator, and the Chairman of the Senate Services
Committee, remarked that because the Senate was on recess and many
legislators have traveled, the number of Senators present at the court had
gone down to between 25 and 30.
“However, if it is a question of those who support Bukola Saraki,” Gobir
said, “You will see about 83 to 85 Senators here.”
Meanwhile, Senator Isa Misau, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on
Navy, said that officials of the executive branch were busy pushing to
persecute the Senate President and have abandoned governance. Also
speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the CCT, Misau said:
“The executive branch seems to have abandoned their duty, which is
governance, and are instead focusing on persecuting the Senate President.
This seems to be why there is fuel scarcity, and nothing seems to be
working in the country.”
The trial of the Senate President has been adjourned till Monday, April 18th.