The 8th Senate recently celebrated its one year in office. The political machination and hullaballoo that heralded the emergence of its bipartisan leadership, is gradually settling down in the eyes of the observing public.
Worthy of note and conspicuous acknowledgement, is the re-election of Senator Ike Ekweremadu as deputy Senate president for unprecedented three consecutive terms. His third political voyage as deputy senate president of 8th Senate is more unparalleled, having been elected historically as deputy senate president of the PDP extraction in APC’s slight majority Senate—which is unmatched in the political annals of contemporary Nigeria. Dr. Ike Ekweremadu’s third missionary journey as deputy senate president of 8th Senate, was not as a result of the so-called pre-Senate leadership election deal between Dr.Saraki and the PDP Senators, but an impeccable proof of his legislative prowess cum bipartisan overwhelming support in the Senate.
After the emergence of current leadership of 8th Senate,some aggrieved Senators who believed that they were outfoxed in the political chess game that enthroned Saraki and veteran Ekweremadu as senate president and deputy, respectively, went to court under the oxymoronic name of Senate Unity Forum to challenge electoral processes which threw up these fine gentlemen as unequal co-pilot of Nigerian Senate. After tactless shenanigans and media grandstanding as regards the suited forgery case at Federal High Court, Abuja, the stark reality of being on wild goose chase has finally enveloped consciousness of these Senators, who have silently withdrew their support from the dead-on-arrival case for lack of substantial evidences and empirical facts.
A new twist is being added to this forgery allegation case. There is unfolding conspiracy by those I can describe as political scavengers and tyrannical elements. These are dark agents of dictatorship whose morbid intention is to cripple or annex legislative arm of government by subjecting current Senate Leadership under perpetual torments and harassment using state institutions cum apparatus, while masquerading its extremist exploit to decimate opposing views under the guise of anti-corruption fight.
Prior to now, hitherto strong critics of this administration have been thrown into jail extra-judicially; using every flimsy corruption allegation the scavengers could lays hands on. Even the dumbest political neophyte knows that on-going persecution of Senate President Saraki has political coatings in it. Those who thought that the entire senate leadership could be cowed into becoming a rubber stamp Red Chamber by dragging Senate President Saraki to the Code of Conduct Tribunal,has been flabbergasted by resoluteness of the Senate and its leadership to protect legislative independence—which represents the bedrock of our nascent democracy.
Since the promulgation of 8th Senate, Deputy Senate President, Ekweremadu has been playing the role of a stabilising force in the Senate. His proven leadership experience vis-Ã -vis emotional intelligence has helped to bring stability and confidence in the leadership acumen of 8th Senate, irrespective of distractions being face by Senator Saraki as a result of his trial at the CCT. Dr. Ekweremadu, being the de facto leader of the opposition party, the PDP by virtue of the position he is presently occupying, has not hesitated in offering constructive criticisms on how Nigerian State is being run by President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government. His objective critic of this government in some national issues is not borne out of hatred for President Buhari or for the sole purpose of playing extremist opposition but the love of the country which was epitomized in his recently launched book—Who will love my country; ideas for building the Nigeria of our dreams.
From the unfolding events in the last few weeks, it appears that the tyrants in this administration abhors Ekweremadu’s patriotic role in stabilising the 8th Senate in the absence of Senate President Saraki, and his courageous statements in the face of rampaging dictatorial tendencies. Those anti-democratic elements, who view the Deputy Senate President, as the only standing objective/opposing voice has being scavenging all the political debris looking for what to deplore in tarnishing his unblemished integrity in the eyes of some politically naïve Nigerians.
This desperate plot to rob in Ekweremadu began few weeks ago, when unsolicited and premeditated Anti-Corruption ambassadorial award was given to him in his office by representatives of EFCC in National Assembly, and was vehemently denied in less than 24 hours by the same commission just to embarrass Sen. Ekweremadu. It has been placed on record that he never lobbied or canvassed for such an award and did not deserve such media embarrassment he got, which placated over bloated ego of those gunning for his head.
The endless voyage of illusions being embarked upon by political scavengers, who are incidentally turning into avengers, just to get at Ekweremadu for daring to express his constitutional rights to contest for deputy senate president in APC’s slim majority Senate, is being brought to fore by current move to instigate criminal charges against Saraki, Ekweremadu and outgone Clark of National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa on the baseless, frivolous and unsubstantiated allegation of conniving to forge Senate rules, which is yet to be proven by now foot-dragging Senate Unity Forum.
No Comment Yet... Why not be the first of your Friends!