Members of the All Progressives Congress from Delta State on Tuesday, in Abuja, took a swipe at the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, over the suspension of the senator representing Delta Central, Ovie Omo-Agege.
The leader of the team, Chief Great Ogboru, at a press briefing told journalists that the Senate had no mandate to suspend a fellow colleague for airing his views at the red chamber.
He described the action of the Senate as ‘legislative tyranny.’
The APC leaders, who took their protest to the national secretariat of the party, described the Senate decision “as unconstitutional, lawless, anti-democratic, disrespectful, oppressive and ultra vires.”
Some of the APC leaders from Delta State, who were present at the briefing apart from Ogboru, are Chief Frank Kokori, Mrs. Marian Ali, Dr. Goodnews Agbi, Rev. Ossai Abbeh, Mr. George Timinimi, Chief Charles Uwaechie and Chief Sam Oteheri.
Speaking at a press conference, spokesman for the group, Chief Adelabu Bodjor, alleged that the Senate under Saraki, was nursing a sinister motive of undermining President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling party.
He said, “By the letters and spirit of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Senate cannot nullify, tinker with, or suspend the election of a senator of our Republic.
“The Senate cannot compel a senator to vacate his seat and, as a consequence, deny his people their constitutionally guaranteed right of representation. A senator can only vacate his seat by the reason of death, a recall by his constituents or if, without a division in the party on whose platform he was elected, he defects from that party, or otherwise by an appropriate judicial pronouncement. None of these is the case at hand.
“It is extremely offensive that the distinguished Senator Omo-Agege was purportedly suspended for his opinions on a controversial amendment to the Electoral Act regarding the sequence of general elections.
“The senator did not break any law of the land. Rather, his only alleged fault is that he said, ‘there is a perception out there that the proposed amendment is targeted at Mr. President (Buhari).’ But many share the truth, thoughts or sentiments expressed by our senator. Indeed, just two days ago, it was noted that the target of the reordering of the (election) sequence was the Presidency.
“So, we must ask: Why ‘suspend’ Senator Omo-Agege and deny our people their constitutional right of representation in the Senate just because he merely alluded to an obvious public perception? If that is such a huge offence, then it should also be just right to insist that persons on trial for allegedly committing weighty crimes and other offences should themselves be suspended or banned from the Senate. These persons know themselves.” (Punch)
