…D/Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu Meets Vice President Osinbajo
…Police Escort Suspended Senator Ovie Omon-Agege out of Senate
By Ayo Kehinde
Senate The Federal Government has expressed shock at the invasion of the National Assembly and the subsequent snatching of the Senate mace by thugs on Tuesday.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the security agencies have been directed to immediately unravel the circumstances surrounding the breach of security that led to the invasion.
He said the security around the National Assembly complex would also be reinforced to prevent a recurrence.
Deputy Senate President is currently holding a meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to brief him on the development. President Muhammadu Buhari is away in London where he is attending the Commonwealth Head of State Meeting.
The police had to escort suspended Senator Ovie Omon-Agege, Delta Central, who led the thugs into the Senate Chambers in the early hours of Wednesday and snatched the mace, out of the premises. He was suspended by the Senate for 90 days for making statements considered embarrassing on the Senate passage of the Act re-ordering elections in 2019.
Meanwhile, condemnation and expression of solidarity with the Senate has began to pour in from Nigerians including its leader, Dr Abubakar Saraki who is away abroad for a World Bank/IMF conference, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ,the All Progressives Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Saraki commended the leadership and all members of the Senate for standing up firmly in defence of democracy and the rule of law with their decision to defy those who machinated an attack on the Red Chambers of the National Assembly in which the mace was forcefully taken away.
Saraki, speaking from Washington where he is attending the Spring Meeting of the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF), also lauded the swift reaction by the leadership and members of the House of Representatives in demonstrating their solidarity with the red chamber and thereby sending a strong signal that enemies of democracy and those who want to undermine the legislature will be resisted by all parliamentarians.
“I have just been informed that some hoodlums invaded the Senate chambers, forcefully taken away the mace and assaulted some of our Sergeant-at-arms on chamber duties. I am delighted that the Senate stood up to them by disregarding their unreasonable and shameful action and went on with the day’s proceedings as slated in the Order Paper.
“My commendation goes to my deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, other members of the leadership, my colleagues, the leadership and members of the House of Representatives for standing in defence of democracy, parliamentary sanctity and constitutionalism.
“With the way the Senate has defied those seeking to undermine it, we have sent out a strong signal that we are always ready to defend our constitutional mandate and nothing will deter us from this.
“I associate myself with the comments of the Deputy Senate President that we are ready to get to the roots of this assault on democracy and ensure that those who are responsible, no matter how remote, will be brought to justice”, Saraki stated.
Atiku Abubakaar described the attack as a dangerous precedent and an assault on Nigeria’s democracy by anti-democratic elements.
“I am utterly embarrassed, shocked and outraged by this ugly development because it is not only a threat to a major democratic institution, but also represents a grave danger to the survival of our democracy.”
He said that given the tension in the country, the timing of the attack could not have come at a worse time for Nigeria, and that using illegal and unconstitutional methods to threaten the authority of a key democratic institution is unacceptable, evil, and condemnable.
The former Vice President noted that it is inconceivable that hoodlums could force their way into the Senate chamber and take away the Mace.
“If criminals could commit such security breach with impunity, it means that our entire democracy is in danger”, Atiku said and warned “those behind this illegality to avoid creating a monster that could consume them.”
Atiku Abubakar reminded Nigerians that so many people have died in order to bring this democracy about and therefore called for immediate investigation into the incident and the prompt prosecution of those involved.
“It is unacceptable and reprehensible to subject the National Assembly to this intimidation and humiliation. This attack by thugs should not go unpunished no matter who is involved”, he added.
Atiku Abubakar while likening democratic institutions to the human body said “if one organ is harmed, it affects others”
He urged those pushing the county’s political temperature to dangerous levels to desist from it as they are playing a Russian roulette with Nigeria’s hard-earned democracy.
In a statement, Mallam Bolaji Abdullah, National Publicity Secretary, said “The APC hereby condemns this action and views it as an attack on our democracy and a desecration of the hallowed institution of the National Assembly.
“We therefore call on security agencies to take all necessary actions to recover the stolen mace and ensure that the perpetrators and their sponsors are brought to justice.”
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, also condemned the attack and called for the arrest and prosecution of the invaders.
In a statement by Uche Secondus, National Chairman, the invaders acted with such impunity by violating the hallowed chambers of the Senate, that they must not be let free without being visited with the full; wrath of the law. He said it was time the country is rescued from the national embarrassment that the APC members were causing the Nigerians, Omon-Agege is a member of the ruling party
Speaking with Thisage, elder statesman, Tanko Yakasai urged the Senate not to treat the invasion with levity and called on them to take matters concerning their security very seriously. “The invasion is the height of lawlessness. In some democracies abroad, the Senate has its own police to secure the security of members. They should consider taking their security very seriously”
