Barely after 24hrs after the President’s return to the country from the United Kingdom the upper chamber of the senate has issued a strong-worded statement, accusing the executive arm of the government of interfering with the structure of the legislative for political reasons and as an attempt to silence the legislative arm, and warns the executive arm to respect the principle of separation of power. The upper chamber claims that the executive is so eager to remove the current sitting Senate President and his deputy it doesn’t mind “sacking the constitution.”

Senate President – Bukola Saraki

The immediate past clerk of the senate Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa and the present clerk of the senate Mr. Ben Efeturi, upon discovery of the planned charges of forgery and conspiracy preferred against the Senate President, Dr. Abulbakar Bukola Saraki, and his deputy Senator Ike Ekweremadu, stated in their statement “we are compelled to alert the good people of Nigeria and the international community, that our democracy is in danger and that the attempt by the executive arm of the federal government to muzzle the legislature and criminalize legislative processes in order to cause leadership change in the national assembly is a return to the era of impunity and lack of respect for due process which we all fought to abolish,” read the statement signed by Aliyu Abdullahi, spokesman of the senate.
This latest plot is directed at forcing a change of leadership in the senate or, in the extreme case, ground the red chamber of the national assembly. Or how do one interpret a move in which the two presiding officers are being set up to be remanded in Kuje Prison or incapacitated from sitting at plenary through a day-to-day trial on a matter that is purely an internal affair of the senate.
The legislative in its statement warns the attorney-general of the federation Abubakar Malami, to act in accordance to lay down principles such as separation of power, check and balances in administering his judicial duties.
“We urge President Muhammadu Buhari to please call his attorney-general and minister of justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, to order. The Senate of the Federal Republic voted freely to elect its leadership into office and continuing attempts to change that leadership through the wanton abuse of judicial processes cannot stand in the eyes of the world. It is clear that the attorney-general and party leaders behind this action either lack the understanding of the underlining principles of constitutional democracy, the concept of separation of powers, checks and balances and parliamentary convention or they just simply do not care if the present democracy in the country survives or collapses in their blinded determination to get Saraki and Ekweremadu by all means necessary, including abuse of office and sacking the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The senate warns the executive arms not to consider its maturity and hand of cooperation extended to the president as a sign of weakness, but rather an effort to maintain inter-arms cooperation and national interest.
“We must make it clear here to the individuals in the Executive arm and party leadership behind these plots not to mistake the maturity and hand of co-operation being extended to the Presidency by the legislature as a sign of weakness. The National Assembly bent backwards to accommodate various infractions and inefficiencies in pursuit of inter-arms co-operation and national interest. We did not follow up the various infractions because we believe there are bigger issues which the government has to attend to in order to ensure that every Nigerian have food on his table and live comfortably in a secured environment.
“These present efforts, therefore, is clearly a coup against the legislature with the ignoble aim to undermine its independence and subject the law making institution to the whims and caprices of the executive. It is a plan to return Nigeria to the dictatorial era which we have, as a nation, voted to reject. It is a dangerous trend with grave implications for the survival of our democracy and the integrity of the component institutions.
“This rule of men as against the rule of law is also the reason why the War Against Corruption, one of the cardinal objectives of the present administration, is losing credibility because people perceive it to be selective and, in most cases, aimed at settling political or partisan scores.”
The senate however advised the executive arms to concentrate their efforts on revitalizing the economy, which is currently undergoing serious challenges that threatens national development.
“We are in a state of economic emergency such that what the National Assembly needs at this time are executive bills and proposals aimed at resolving the crises of unemployment, currency depreciation, inflation, crime and insecurity,” the statement read.
“What the National Assembly needs now are executive bills to build and strengthen institutions to earn revenues, fight corruption and eliminate waste. Instead, we are getting hostile actions aimed at destabilizing the National Assembly, distracting Senators from their oversight functions and ensuring good and accountable governance.