Following reactions trailing the election of Senator Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President yesterday, Senator Dino Melaye (APC), Kogi West has asked members of the All Progressives Congress and well meaning Nigerians to hold the Senator Barnabas Gemade led group – The Unity Forum responsible for frolicking at a critical time outside the National Assembly when they were supposed to be on sit to participate in the election of principal officers of the Senate.
According to him, the group was well aware of business and rules of the Senate because of their wealth of experience as ranking senators and that they were also aware of plenary session slated to start at 10.00am, Tuesday which includes the election of Principals officers of the Senate as it affects their interest.
“So, how could they have left all this important assignment for another thing under the guise that Mr President was having a meeting with them at the International Conference Centre?” He queried.
He noted that Senators-elect had formed a quorum and the Clerk to the National Assembly had read the proclamation letter from President Muhammadu Buhari signifying the due process of activities.
He debunked claims that their was a meeting scheduled at the International Conference Centre, describing it as an antics to abort the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as President of the 8th Senate.
The Senator in company of other new members, explained that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was magnanimous to have not fielded a candidate for Senate President because they would have won with larger number of their members.
He advised the group to accept the outcome of Tuesday’s development that produced Dr. Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu as Senate leaders, while warning them to desist from using the name of President Buhari for subterranean motives as had been so in the past weeks.
He described President Buhari as a true democrat and a leader to have accepted working with National Assembly leadership as it stands having issued a statement to that effect.
Meanwhile, the Unity Forum in a press statement today in Abuja declared their intention to go to court challenging the emergence of Saraki as Senate President.
Its Chairman, Senator Barnabas Gemade said about 53 Senators on the platform of APC did not participate in Tuesday’s election of National Assembly leadership as required by law, thus making it illegitimate and a sham by a few people bent on defocusing the party.
More worrisome he said was the insinuation in some quarters that the group boycotted the election, which he described as unfounded.
“As loyal party members, we would take all necessary political and legal means to strengthen our democracy and democratic process in line with the change that we promised our teaming supporters during our electioneering campaign”, he said.
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