The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
has accused the federal government and the All Progressives Congress
(APC) of shopping for a “fraudulent” interim court order to declare
vacant the seat of the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, following
his defection from the APC to the PDP.....
But in a swift reaction, the Minister of
Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed described the allegations by the
PDP as reckless and desperate, adding that they lack proof.
In a statement issued by its National
Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP said that credible
information at its disposal showed that some cabals in the Presidency
and APC had perfected the said plan, with the sole aim of securing a
fraudulent injunction to force him out of office pending the
determination of a substantive suit.
The PDP said further intelligence
available to it shows that they intend to arraign and detain the Deputy
Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on trumped up charges and
ensure he is not granted bail so as to keep him out of circulation while
their men would move in to effect an illegal leadership change in the
Senate.
“While we trust that the Chief Justice
of Nigeria will protect the sanctity of our judiciary especially at this
trying time in our national history, we call on the institution of the
judiciary at all levels to immune itself from being used by enemies of
our democracy as no house falls leaving its roof standing.
“This desperation by despotic forces to
forcefully and illegally take control of the Senate, the highest symbol
of our Democratic Order, is nothing short of “civilianised coup” which
must be resisted by all”, the statement added.
The PDP stated that the judiciary must
ensure that it is not intimidated or ensnared to be party to a desperate
bid to destabilize our nation.
“The PDP holds that this newest devilish
plot to destabilise our democracy lays credence to our earlier stand
that President Buhari’s supposed London vacation is a ploy to absolve
himself of responsibility for the political terror they have plotted to
unleash on the opposition, especially the National Assembly.
“Although they denied it as usual,
Nigerians can bear witness to the fact that there is nothing the APC
government denied that it did not eventually execute.
“Indeed, there has never been any impunity they executed that they did not deny,” the party said.
The PDP also described the recent
rascally attempt to hold Saraki and Ekweremadu hostage in their homes on
24th July 2018 as well as the terrorisation of the Benue State House of
Assembly after Governor Samuel Ortom’s defection as a sad testimony.
“We therefore call on Nigerians and the
international community to be on the alert as the conspirators plan to
commence the execution of this evil plot from Tuesday next week.
” The PDP cautions the APC and others in
this evil ring to note that they are now running on a collision course
with Nigerians as the citizens will definitely not fold their hands and
watch them destroy our hard earned democracy and foist a fascism on our
dear nation,” it stressed.
Reacting to the statement by the PDP,
the Information Minister said the party was constantly making
allegations without proof and urged Nigerians to disregard this current
one too.
Mohammed said: “Few days back, the PDP
claimed that there were plans to invade the Senate and sack Saraki.
Today, they said we are planning to use the court to sack Saraki.
Nigerians are tired of all these false allegations. The PDP is reckless
and desperate. They are afraid of their own shadows.
“They are so troubled and have gone out
of ideas and make allegations without proofs. Dragging the Judiciary
into this is very unfortunate. This is a government that believes in the
rule of law. These constant falsehoods are a threat to the peace and
security of this country.”
Meanwhile, Ekweremadu yesterday
stated that his interrogation by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) was yet to be concluded.
The Deputy Senate President who made
this known in a statement issued on his behalf in Abuja by his Media
Aide, Uche Anichukwu, emphasized that he had honored EFCC’s invitation
twice this week.
Ekweremadu, according to the statement,
was at the EFCC Abuja headquarters on Tuesday and Wednesday to honour
the earlier invitation extended to him by the anti-graft body last week.
It added that the Deputy Senate
President who was not feeling well while at the EFCC headquarters on
Wednesday will return to the EFCC office at a later date.
“Senator Ekweremadu reported at the EFCC
on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, at 10am as scheduled, but informed them
that he was not feeling well, a fact the EFCC doctor confirmed. He was
then allowed to leave to see his doctor and it was agreed that a new
date would be fixed for continuation of the interview”, the statement
noted.
The statement recalled that operatives
of the EFCC and men of the Nigeria Police laid siege to Ekweremadu’s
residence at about 6am on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, requesting him to
report at its headquarters at 10am the same Tuesday while no letter of
invitation was delivered to him until around 9am of that day.
“Since the siege would not allow him to honor the belated invitation the same day, he, as a law-abiding
citizen, wrote to the EFCC to request for another date, hence the
rescheduled appointment of Tuesday, July 31, 2018.
According to the statement, Ekweremadu
honoured the 10am appointment on the fixed date and left in the evening
of the same day when he was granted bail on self-recognizance with an
understanding that he would report at the EFCC office at 10am the next
day for a continuation of the interview.
“So, there was no interrogation
whatsoever on Wednesday, let alone presentation of so-called additional
“facts” that purportedly triggered his blood pressure. Likewise, there
were no new “facts” presented to him the previous day, Tuesday, July 31,
beside those concocted by the dismissed Chief Judge of Enugu State,
Innocent Umezulike and his cohorts in their petition”, the statement
added.
In another statement yesterday by
Ekweremadu’s media aide, he said reports that he developed blood
pressure in the EFCC custody were false.
The statement by his media aide reads:
“My attention has been drawn to false reports in some national dailies
that the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu,
developed High Blood Pressure in the custody of the EFCC upon alleged
presentation to him of a fresh set of purported “hidden properties”
supposedly acquired by him. There is no truth to this propaganda.
“He reported at the EFCC on Wednesday,
August 1, 2018, at 10am as scheduled, but informed them that he was not
feeling well, a fact the EFCC doctor confirmed. He was then allowed to
leave to see his doctor and it was agreed that a new date would be fixed
for continuation of the interview.
“So, there was no interrogation
whatsoever on Wednesday, let alone presentation of so-called additional
“facts” that purportedly triggered his blood pressure. Likewise, there
were no new “facts” presented to him the previous day, Tuesday, July 31,
beside those concocted by the dismissed Chief Judge of Enugu State,
Innocent Umezulike and his cohorts in their petition.
“The Office feels compelled by the
mischief and orchestrated media trial to put the “facts” straight on
this particular issue. We thank our supporters for their genuine concern
and prayers. We equally urge them to remain calm.”
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