Senator Abdullahi Adamu, leader of the pro-Buhari group of senators opposed to the reordering of the 2019 election time-table, has given a hint about those behind the move.
The former governor of Nasarawa state declared that some All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators were promoting the re-order.
He said 59 out of the 109 members of the red chamber were against the change in dates, and that of the remaining 50, those on APC platform were against President Buhari and his re-election.
In a chat with New Telegraph, Adamu explained that he and others recently walked out of plenary over the matter because “We feel very strongly that the process by which the so-called Conference Report was laid and considered was a deliberate rus”
“If you took note of the report that was circulated, the chairman and the co-chairman did not sign it. We don’t know why they didn’t sign. The Senate Committee Chairman on Electoral Matters, Senator Nazif, did not sign; Hon Pawjok Gyang, who is the co-chairman didn’t sign it; Senators Biodun Olujinmi, Ajayi Adeyinka and Peter Nwoboshi also did not sign.
“Normally, if we are going through due process, these people ought to have signed the report or do we have different reports submitted on the same bill by the same committee?
“These are some of the questions begging for answers. I am one of those in the Senate who believe that the bill needs better attention so that many of those who wanted to speak on the bill could be heard. Why the rush? Why do we want to make a law to address one particular problem at a particular time and targeted at one person?
“This is a very partisan report, it is very partisan because you can see from the body language, open utterances and gesturing of some people that it is a predetermined thing by a political party that is threatened by the APC government and wants to make sure that whatever incumbency gives anybody, we are denied it.
“I can tell you here today that we have 59 Senators who are opposed to the inclusion of this section 25 of the Electoral Act. 59 Senators, you can take that to the bank. If that division was allowed, 59 senators would have voted to delete that purported amendment in Section 25 of the Electoral Act.
“You don’t make a law targeted at one person. The perception out there is that this Section 25 was included to target Mr President. I do not believe in that amendment and I cannot sit by and watch while a law is made and targeted at Mr. President. This is why some of us here are protesting and will continue to protest. I can assure you, it will not become law.
“Above all, this amendment appears to me to be self serving and some of of want to pull the rug from under the feet of Mr President and the All Progressives Congress (APC). Why did we wait until after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had come out with a time table for the elections before this bill?”
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