They will not resign! – Senate fires back at SGF Lawal

In a swift reaction to the call by Secretary to the Government of the Federation [SGF], David Babachir Lawal for the principal officers of the National Assembly, Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu to resign, the Senate has fired back.

The Senate last night, said the two principal officers of the Senate will not resign.

The body insisted that it was being assaulted by the executive arm of government in the ongoing trial of its leaders. 

Senators Saraki and Ekweremadu are being tried before an FCT High Court for allegedly forging the Senate Standing Rules 2015.

The other accused persons are former Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, and his former deputy, Bernard Efeturi. 

Lawal stated that a case of forgery was usually proffered against individuals.

He recalled that such case of certificate forgery led to the resignation of one-time Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Salisu Buhari. 

Reacting to the SGF’s call, the Senate said, yesterday, Saraki and his deputy, Ekweremadu, would not resign their positions. 

According to the Senate, there is no basis for them to throw in the towel because both Saraki and Ekweremadu were never mentioned by petitioners in the case involving alleged forgery of the 2015 Senate Standing Order. 

In a statement signed yesterday by Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Senate said: 

“We note the statement issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. David Babachir Lawal, that the Senate is not the one on trial in the Forgery case instituted by the Attorney-General of the Federation against the Senate President and his deputy. 

“We disagree with him on this position and we maintain our earlier stand that it is the Senate that is the target of the present attempt to intimidate the legislature to force a leadership change in the Senate. 

“Mr. Babachir Lawal should tell us how reasonable it is to conclude that when the President of Nigeria and the Vice President are being jointly tried in a suit whose outcome can remove them from office, it is not the Buhari government that is being targeted? 

“It is also imperative to clearly state that contrary to the claim by the SGF, neither the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, nor Senator Ike Ekweremadu was mentioned by the petitioners, the statements by those interviewed by the police or even the police report. 

“Don’t compare an apple with orange “Meanwhile, let us refresh Mr. Lawal’s memory about the facts of the 1999 case. 

“It is obvious that the Senate President and his deputy are not being accused of certificate forgery as it happened in ex-Speaker Salisu Buhari’s case. 

“Therefore, nobody should compare an apple with orange. 

“Also, neither Saraki nor Ekweremadu is below the age requirement for their present position as it was alleged in the Buhari case. 

“Attempts to make the two situations look similar is to present all Nigerians as having no sense of history. 

“We also know that nobody can be accused of forging his own signature. 

“The executive is in no position to determine what is the correct Standing Orders of the Senate. 

“The Senate President and his deputy were, as at the morning of the June 9, 2015 inauguration of the Senate, mere Senators-elect and could, therefore, not have been in a position to influence any alteration in the rule book. 

“The Senate, as an institution, and, indeed, the National Assembly, has spoken about their understanding of the present assault on their independence by the executive. 

“We maintain that this trial is a design by the executive to criminalize the internal affairs of the Senate to create a distraction for the leadership of the Senate, force a leadership change and cow the legislators. 

“Those behind this plot find this trial more expedient and important than finding tangible solutions to the multi-farious socio-economic problems bedeviling the country. 

“However, we are sure they will fail in this attempt. 

“We only hope they will allow the judiciary to truly and creditably perform its duties and give independent verdict on the case.”

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