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Senate Leadership: A Democratic Revolution Against Imposition – APC Member

A member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) says the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki, as the President of the upper chamber, was a … Continue reading Senate Leadership: A Democratic Revolution Against Imposition – APC Member


Bukola-Saraki-and-Ike-Ekwerenmadu
(L-R) Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his Deputy Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

A member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) says the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki, as the President of the upper chamber, was a democratic revolution against the imposition of candidates on party members.

Senator Saraki emerged the President of the Senate, contrary to the choice of the party in a straw election.

On Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television’s programme, Mr Oladimeji Fabiyi, commended Senator Saraki for his intervention and for standing his ground to ensure that the planned imposition of a candidate on the members of the party did not succeed.

He claimed that there was a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari to the Clerk of the National Assembly, urging the Senate to hold the inauguration as scheduled.

Oladimeji-Fabiyi
Oladimeji Fabiyi, a member of the All progressives Congress, believes the Senate President’s election followed laid down rules.

His claims contradict earlier claims by some Senators of the APC, who did not take part in the election that brought in Senator Saraki, that the President had requested that the time for the election should be shifted, as he had called a meeting of the Senators to discuss the election.

But since the number of Senators present at the Assembly Complex as at 10:00am scheduled time was enough to form a quorum, the Senators carried on with the election.

Revolution Against Imposition

The party and some Senators absent expressed displeasure with the process, saying it was treacherous and that they will challenge the outcome in court.

“I do not think there is going to be any issue. What happened at the National Assembly was a democratic revolution against imposition and we accept it at this very time.

“We will stand by that. We should be busy with the challenges we have as a nation.

“The President knew he may not be around at the time the inauguration will hold, so he sent a proclamation, asking the Clerk to go ahead with the inauguration, as scheduled.

“It is democracy in progress. In any democratic process, we are bound to see this kind of a thing. It is not an issue of minority having its way. At the inauguration, 58 Senators were there, more than the number required to form a quorum,” Mr Fabiyi stressed.

Also giving his opinion about the outcome of the election held on Tuesday, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party and the House of Representatives, Tijani Yusuf, said his party showed magnanimity by allowing the APC to get the position of the Senate President, emphasising that his party would have taken advantage of the division in the ruling party and usurp the Senate leadership.

“The PDP has the number and should have taken it because of the division in the APC over the candidate to present.

“Requirement for a quorum in the Senate is 37. We are presently 107 Senators and PDP has 48 Senators APC has 59. Even with the whole senators on ground, the DPD will contest and still win, since the APC will have divided votes,” he claimed.

Senator Yusuf said the election was legitimate, explaining that some of the Senators claiming no election was held signed the attendance register before the left for the supposed meeting with the President.

He, however, urged the APC to focus on governance, as Nigerians are looking up to them to fulfil their promises.