Lai Mohammed Says APC’s Call for Saraki’s Impeachment Legitimate

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Tuesday, August 14th, 2018

…Denies FG’s Involvement

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) -The Federal Government FG has denied having hand in the call for resignation or impeachment of the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.

The Minister of Information and Culture AlhajI Lai Mohammed made the denial Tuesday when he paid advocacy visit to the Abuja office of Blueprints Newspaper.

In contrary, Mohammed said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)’s demand for Saraki’s resignation was legitimate.

He said FG was surprised by the failure of the National Assembly NASS to reconvene Tuesday for consideration of INEC supplementary budget for 2019 elections.

Alhaji Mohammed’s visit was to drum support for the recently launched National Campaign Against Fake News.

In his response to questionssss, Alhaji Mohammed said the sudden change in decision by NASS to reconvene came by surprise, but the Executive was reaching out to resolve the impasse.

He restated: “We were surprised that it is being postponed, but I want to assure Nigerians that as we speak, the executive is reaching out to the legislators to resolve this.

“This is not about playing politics, elections must hold, no alternative to holding the 2019 general election.

“We appeal to the sense of patriotism of our National Assembly members to put differences with the Executive behind them, real or perceived ones.

‘’They should also put party differences behind them and do their patriotic duties.

“We believed that the impasse will be resolved very soon in the interest of the nation.

“The seed of discord we are witnessing in the National Assembly today was sowed when Sen. Bukola Saraki installed himself as Senate President against the wish of the party’’.

He recalled that over 12 members of APC Senators were in the Senate Chamber when Saraki emerged as President of the Senate as some of them were at the International Conference Centre waiting for President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The practice all over the world is that the party with majority will determine the leadership of the Assembly,’’ Alhaji Mohammed noted.

He argued: “The 1979 being used as justification was not correct because the NPN was unable to have majority in the House and therefore merged with NPP.

“The NPN and the NPP sat together and agreed that while NPN takes control of the Senate the NPP will take control of leadership of the House of Representatives.’’

The emergence of an opposition Senator Ike Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President made the matter worst.

“By making PDP as Deputy Senate President, the APC is done for. This is a danger and time bomb waiting to happen.

“It is legitimate for the party to say, if you leave my party upon which you ride to become Senate President it is only right for Saraki to leave the party,’’ Mohammed restated.