Following last Tuesday’s incident at the
National Assembly, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that
the deployment of the operatives of the Department of State Service
(DSS) was necessitated by the fears of a plot to unleash violence on the
place by the supporters of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki......
This is coming as the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), has said the presidency and the APC were being haunted by
their guilt, following the barrage of national and international
indignation against them over their failed attempt to illegally take
over the National Assembly on Tuesday
Masked DSS operatives armed to the teeth
took over the two gates of the National Assembly at the dawn of
Tuesday, preventing senators and staff of the National Assembly, as well
as journalists from gaining entry into the premises of the apex
legislative institution.
The ruling party, which issued two
statements on Tuesday, disassociating itself and condemning the DSS
action, issued another statement Wednesday, justifying it.
While calling for a thorough probe of
the entire incident, APC said it still maintains the call on Saraki to
resign his post as Senate president.
In the statement issued by the Acting
National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Yekini Nabene, the ruling party
accused the main opposition party and the supporters of Saraki of
planning to forment trouble.
The ruling party whose new position contradicted the earlier one, said it had discovered that there was a plan hatched to cause violence at National Assembly.
The ruling party whose new position contradicted the earlier one, said it had discovered that there was a plan hatched to cause violence at National Assembly.
“We are now aware that the timely
intervention of the security operatives forestalled the planned violence
which could have led to possible deaths, injuries and destruction of
property in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
“Our investigations have now uncovered
the sinister plot hatched by Saraki, to foment violence in the
legislative chamber all in a bid to stop his impeachment,” the party
said.
APC also alleged that the move to reconvene the National Assembly by Saraki was to forestall his impeachment.
“Why did the Senate president mobilize thugs to the National Assembly
who almost lynched Hon. E.J. Agbonayinma, the only APC federal lawmaker
present but for the timely intervention of security operatives?
“Why did the Senate president reconvene
the National Assembly? Ostensibly as a pre-emptive move to frustrate
federal lawmakers move to impeach him.
“Is it not curious that only PDP federal
lawmakers were present in their numbers-some as early as 7a.m., while
the majority APC federal lawmakers were elsewhere holding a caucus
meeting on the state of the nation.
“We call on the security agencies and
relevant bodies to as a matter of urgency probe these findings and take
all necessary and legitimate action to stop these illegalities which
pose a direct and ominous threat to our democracy.
“While our contention with the
leadership of the National Assembly as currently constituted is a matter
of public record, we still believe that the legislature as an
independent arm of government must be allowed free reign for vibrant
contestation of ideas and values amongst its members within the context
of their constitutional mandate and for the benefit of the Nigerian
people.
“Finally, we reiterate our call for the
Senate president to resign from the position immediately as he no longer
has the moral and legitimate ground to occupy that position as a member
of the minority PDP. Going by the popular axiom, the majority will have
their way, but the minority will have their say,” it said.
However in a swift reaction, the PDP
said the presidency and the APC were being haunted by their guilt,
following the barrage of national and international indignation against
them over their failed attempt to illegally takeover the National
Assembly on Tuesday.
The PDP said with the failure of the
presidency and the APC to sway the public with the sack of the Director
General of the DSS, Lawal Daura, they have become schizophrenic in their
bid to politicize the invasion, while further exposing their
culpability in the sordid act.
In a statement issued yesterday by its
National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the main opposition
party said APC’s jaundiced reasoning and penchant for deceit knows no
bound.
“Is it not schizophrenic for the APC, in
its statement, a day after the invasion, to accuse Saraki of triggering
security issues at the National Assembly, when the presidency had
already ‘found’ DSS Director General wanting and summarily sacked him
for the invasion?
“How can the APC accuse Saraki of
causing security
concerns by ‘reconvening’ the National Assembly, when
it is public knowledge that the National Assembly has not been
reconvened, despite the pressure by the factional National Chairman of
the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, the Special Adviser to the President on
National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang and Senator Ahmed Lawan on
the leadership of the Senate to reconvene?”
“Is it not revealing that the APC, in
alleging that the Senate president ‘reconvened’ the Senate as a
pre-emptive move to frustrate federal lawmakers’ move to impeach him,
unwittingly exposed their plot to cause violence and illegally take over
the Senate?”
PDP further said that APC, in its
statement has finally vindicated its position regarding its plans to
stampede the Senate president to reopen the National Assembly wherein it
will unleash thugs and security agencies to trigger violence, overwhelm
the legislature and forcefully take over the leadership of the Senate.
“Nigerians are now clear on the fact
that the invasion was carefully planned by the APC and the presidency
and that they would have succeeded but for the resistance mounted by our
lawmakers, Nigerians and the media, who stood in defense of democracy.
“We invite Nigerians to note that in its
attempt to politicise the invasion and provide cover for the culprits
in the Presidency and the APC, the APC has ended up exposing their
sinister plots and culpability,” it said.
The PDP said that it is insisting on an
independent panel of inquiry to be headed by a retired Chief Justice of
Nigeria to investigate the remote and immediate cause of the assault,
while all culprits, no matter how highly placed, must be made to face
the wrath of the law.
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